one small change
by Invincible Shadow
Summary: What would happen if Sakura wasn't placed with Team 7, but with a team which actually appreciated her for who she was? A young, unrecognised prodigy blooming into one of the finest shinobi, that's what. Then again, life just isn't right without complications. Sakura POV. No pairings as of yet.
1. Beginning

**Right! Hi, people who have bothered to click on this new story of mine! This idea has been messing with my head for over a month now, and I just had to let it out. It was originally meant to be an OC-centric story, but then I decided that I just love Saku-chan too much, and thus wouldn't be able to write her as the pathetic fangirl she is at the beginning of the anime. She needs some awesomeness, sue me.**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I'm only gonna do this once, 'cause, come on, do I look like Masashi Kishimoto to you? …Oh, wait. You don't know what I look like…  
Roses are red,  
Violets are blue,  
I don't own Naruto,  
And neither do you.**

_**Summary**_**: What would happen if Sakura wasn't placed with Team 7, but with a team which actually appreciated her for who she was? A young, unrecognised prodigy blooming into one of the finest shinobi, that's what. Then again, life just isn't right without complications.**

**Oh yeah, last thing, in this fic Sakura will be two years younger than in the original timeline. So, when the Rookie 9 are, let's say, twelve, she'll be ten. You'll see why.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**P**_r_o_**l**_o**g**_u_e

The events which took place before my third birthday are but a blur to me, so I don't think them too important. You could say that the moment I blew the _pink_ candle on my _pink_ birthday cake was my first real memory. But it's what happened the day _after_ my birthday that seems to be permanently engraved into my mind.

But I'll talk about that later. Now, I just want to tell you that if you look up the definition of the word '_childhood'_, what will come up will be the exact opposite of what I had. And I don't mean it in the good way either.

Apparently, I've never really been a normal child. I've gathered this much, even by the tender age of three. I wasn't interested in scribbling on walls with crayons, or destroying everything in my path, and going outside petrified me. So, I stayed indoors most of the time, and tried to mimic everyone around me; though that wasn't too many people, since, like I said, I stayed indoors. That's how I've learned to walk incredibly early, and my first word came to me as quickly and easily as if I'd been saying it for years – or, at least that's what my father told me when he was in his talkative mood.

Speaking of my parents; they're the reason I tried to be the best so hard. They are both shinobi, and although I attempted to hide it, they're also one of the reasons why I hate going outside so much.

I've heard about it, seen it, saw people talking about it. After that, it wasn't too hard to come to the conclusion of what the _big, black, and __**incredibly**__ fast_ blurs moving outside our window were.  
After all, I _am_ a smart child.

I lived in a world of trained assassins.

That's enough to discourage _anyone_ from going even a foot away from their house.

But back to my parents for now. My dad, a respected Jounin Commander was a tall man with short spiky white hair and jade eyes. He specialised in Wind Elemental Ninjutsu, though the first time I heard it I had no idea what he meant. Ninju_what_? Due to his high position in the shinobi ranks, he was rarely home, but whenever he was he would always find some time to spend with me, either by reading with me, or teaching me the shinobi history, or just simply letting me cuddle into him to my heart's content. He was stern, but he never purposefully hurt me.

My mother on the other hand was a chunin medic-nin, because she preferred to save lives, rather than take them. She was a red-head with golden-coloured eyes and a caring personality to match. But that's only what I had managed to pry from father. I don't even remember my mum. She was killed the _day_ _after my third birthday._ All I remember is seeing one of dad's colleagues from work at our front door, a black-rimmed scroll grasped tightly in his hand. His eyes were red with unshed tears.

"_Gomenasai_," I remembered him mutter. "_It was a surprise attack at the borders. She didn't even have a kunai to defend herself with."_

The broken look I saw on dad's face that day still haunts me. He took the scroll with a shaking hand and shut the door in the man's face. I was oblivious to the contents of the scroll, but even as a three-year-old I understood that whatever had happened wasn't good when I saw tears rolling down dad's face.

"_Daddy?"_ I asked him. "_What happened to Mummy? And who was that man who gave you the scroll?"_

"_Mummy… isn't coming back, sweetheart. That man's job was just to pass on the news to me. I'm sorry."_

"_You mean she's dead?" _I remember asking, an unknown feeling settling in my stomach. Grief. _"Then what's the scroll for?_" I asked innocently, and my voice grew weak at the end. Dad just shook his head, and I had an inkling suspicion I knew what was in it. I felt something warm and wet sliding down my cheeks. Seeing my tears, dad scooped me up into his arms and brought me onto his lap. I was still tiny, even for a three-year-old.

"_Sssh, sssh, Cherry. We'll get over this. Daddy won't leave you alone, don't worry." _That day we cried together.

But we didn't get over it. Every day when dad got back from work, I would find him on the sofa, holding some sort of bottle in his hand. I didn't understand what was happening at the time, but it only solidified my will to never be a shinobi. I didn't want to end up like mom; killed and still unable to do anything to prevent it, even after years of training.

That's when something began to change. Every step I made into securing and solidifying my decision, a small part of me always wondered _but what if…? _Soon that small bit developed into an entire alternate personality inside my head. And thus, Inner Sakura was born.

She was louder, brasher, braver than me. She kept nagging me to change my decision, to stop being a coward and finally do something useful. I knew I couldn't tell dad about Inner; he already had too much to worry about, and unknowingly I had followed her advice – Inner was **my** problem, and therefore **I** would deal with her.

Finally came the day when my will snapped. Inner's cunning ways of leading me in circles inside my own mind had gotten the better of me and I agreed. I was actually eager to become a shinobi, regardless of the long time it would no doubt take before I became the best.

So I sought out father and told him of my decision. To say he was surprised would be an understatement. It was no secret that I didn't want to be a ninja – I made sure to tell him about that at the very beginning, when he first brought me a book about the history of the five Ninja Nations. I had no qualms about _learning_ about ninja, but I didn't want to _be_ a ninja.

He was surprised, but then that surprise turned to excitement. Being a skilled, successful shinobi, he wanted to pass on his knowledge so that I too could be a skilled and successful shinobi. Of course, he agreed to train me almost immediately. Inner was jumping around in my head doing summersaults, ecstatic at the prospect of becoming a real ninja. To be honest, I was too. One of Inner's arguments which truly convinced me into agreeing was that there are two ways to go for a woman in a shinobi village – either, become a kunoichi and risk death by kunai every day, or, become a housewife and risk death by boredom every day. Even then, I had no desire to be a housewife. That just seemed so **booooring**.

But then, dad just _**had**_ to kill my fun.

"_Before you start actual training, there's a great deal of theory you need to learn. A shinobi's life on the battlefield is only about 10% skill, 40% knowledge and 50% luck. Since you already know the basic history, let's start you off with chakra theory, then the easiest taijutsu stances, how to aim projectile weapons, and how to ensure survival once not on the battlefield. When you learn all that, then I'll start putting the knowledge gained from scrolls into practise. Do we have a deal?"_

I was flabbergasted at how much stuff there is to learn before the actual shinobi business even starts. Even Inner was shocked. But I decided I wanted to be a shinobi, and there was no way I was backing out.

The next half a year was spent in my room, the multiple scrolls dad had borrowed for me from the library spread out in front of me, my tiny, not yet fully experienced hand making shaky notes about what I learned from each. Out of all the areas dad had told me to focus on, I found chakra control and manipulation the hardest to understand. I spent countless hours cooped up in my room trying to make sense of the various scrolls, diagrams and explanations. Finally, I understood it.

Now it was time to prove to dad that I was ready to start the practical stage of my training.

* * *

Dad laughed when I skipped out of my room with a ginormous grin on my face. He easily guessed why I was suddenly so happy, and didn't ask any questions. Just took my hand and led me to the small forest close to our house. I was still inwardly shaking at the prospect of going outside, but ever since Inner's appearance I was not as paranoid as before.

The forestry was thick, but every few meters there was a small clearing. Dad led me to one of those clearings and crouched down so he was eye-level with me.

"_Okay, Sakura-hime. First thing first: you read about the importance of a warm-up before training, right?"_ I nodded. "_Good. Stretch, then we'll test your speed_."

I remembered gulping nervously when he said that. Speed = Running = Not good.

But I didn't say anything and just stretched like I'd read is appropriate when you're going to be using your entire body. When I was done, I simply stood and waited for instructions.

"_Right. There's a tree about forty meters away from where we're standing. I just want you to run up there and back as quickly as you can."_

I nodded. Nothing too complicated, which was good since I wasn't really prepared to do the stuff I read about in the scrolls. Yet.

"_3…2…1…GO!"_

I pushed off and sprinted as fast as my short legs could carry me. During the six months I spent studying the different areas dad had recommended, I had stumbled on many techniques which many shinobi would probably deem useless, but for me they were a treasured way of advancing in my training quicker than expected.

For example, there was the idea of circulating chakra _only_ to the feet instead of every leg muscle. Since my muscles were far from developed, enhancing them with chakra seemed pointless. However, flooding chakra to the feet would allow me to take bigger steps quicker than I could have imagined. Unfortunately, seeing that I was only at the beginning of my training, any sort of chakra manipulation was out of the picture.

I spotted the tree sooner than expected and pushed myself even harder, using its trunk to propel myself back where I came from.

When I finally skidded to a stop in front of dad, I saw him staring at his stopwatch with a mixture of surprise and horror. It was almost comical how he kept looking from the stopwatch to me, back to the stopwatch, back to me.

"_Sakura… This is no place to be cheating. You don't need to; I promised you I'll train you from the very start."_

I blinked at him, stupefied. _"Cheating…? I didn't cheat daddy! I ran like you told me to!"_

He shook his head. _"Impossible."_

I was suddenly enraged. _"No! I didn't cheat! If you don't believe me, then come and see for yourself!"_

I grabbed him by the hand and attempted to drag him after me. Luckily, he took the hint and allowed me to lead him and prove that I was **not** cheating. I was anxious, not really knowing _what_ I wanted to show him, but I just hoped there was something, _something_ that could prove my innocence.

I almost jumped with joy when I saw the spall imprint of my shoe on the tree trunk. _That will show him!_ I thought_. All the proof I could need!_ Then something else came to mind. _Wait… I'm not really that heavy, am I? I just used this tree to turn around, not stomp all over it!_

Apparently, dad was thinking along the same lines as I was. He walked over to the trunk and crouched down, experimentally brushing his fingers against the indent.

"_Visible traces of chakra…"_ he muttered. _"But… that's impossible!"_

"_Traces of chakra?" _I asked, once again confused._ "But for there to be _traces_ of chakra, I would have to be _using_ chakra, right? And my chakra coils aren't developed yet."_

"_While all that you've said is true, this is undeniably your shoe-print, and about the height where you'd have to reach to push off." _He frowned, fingers moving to his lips into his typical 'thinking position'.

"_But daddy, I can't use-!"_

"_That doesn't matter."_ He cut me off quickly. _"Tell me, what were you thinking about when you were running?"_

I blinked, surprised at his question. _"I was thinking that I should circulate my chakra into my feet so I could go faster, but I knew that it was impossible since my coils aren't developed yet."_ I answered truthfully.

"_Incredible_…" he murmured, still dumbfounded. _"It seems that we might be able to proceed with your shinobi training quicker than I expected."_

"_Eh? How?"_ I asked, blinking in puzzlement.

"_It happens sometimes, but it's very rare for it to happen to someone your age. Usually it happens to the most experienced of ninjas, who'd been doing things for so long that they don't need to concentrate on them anymore, just think what they want to do, and their bodies obey, since they're used to the job."_ He explained patiently. _"But for it to happen to you when you've never had any proper battles and only just began your training…"_

He looked into my eyes, a small, teasing, but careful grin on his face.

"_Are you ready to take your training up a notch earlier than planned?"_ he asked.

"_You bet! I want to be strong, and I'll do anything to get there!"_

Wrong move.

* * *

**Well, what do you think?**

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Anything to improve?**

**I hope you enjoyed, and I would be really happy if you could ****REVIEW****!**


	2. The Mistake

**OMG. I'm so sorry for the delay!**

**I can't even begin to explain how guilty I feel, but I promise this won't happen again!**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed the preview, now please enjoy the story!**

**Chapter 1: The Mistake**

* * *

When I agreed to be trained by my dad, I had no idea just how _seriously_ he would take my training.

That was my first mistake.

In the two months that followed my fateful training session with dad in the woods, he'd drilled into me flexibility, manoeuvring, and the five basic Katas. Unfortunately, I thought that if I showed dad that I had mastered them he would ease down on the running and torturous early-morning warm-ups.

That was my second mistake – he did the exact opposite of what I wanted.

With the training getting increasingly harder every day, I was the personification of a zombie – my daily routine had become ridiculously monotone; wake up, wash up, get dressed, eat breakfast, do morning warm-up, run laps, train, eat dinner, train, rest, stretch, sleep; day in, day out.

But I never complained. I'd thrown '_dear daddy'_ and he threw '_sweetheart'_ or '_precious'_ out of the window after the first few sessions – when I became a shinobi, my enemies wouldn't wait for me to recover after receiving a hit like a caring father. They would kill me when I was defenceless. Dad taught me that. In a way, he became my sensei, and I his student.

And I have to say, dad was an amazing teacher. I hadn't had any before, so I couldn't really compare him to others, and I knew that if someone was to see our sessions they probably wouldn't approve, but his serious, down-to-earth teaching worked best for me.

I won't deny it though, I felt like crying more times than I would like to admit after, or even during his training – he never stopped for me to catch my breath, never went easy on me, never told me about the best option, never praised me if I didn't succeed – I came home every evening bruised, beaten and feeling like I'd never wake again if I fall asleep.

But I did. For six months straight that routine went on. I had felt like giving up because I couldn't see any change _at all! _When we sparred, I still lost, when we raced, I was never quick enough; but I was wrong – I _**had**_ _changed_.

It wasn't anything big – I didn't get big muscles, or amazing Hokage-worthy chakra reserves. What I saw was something small, something others would consider insignificant, but it mattered the world to me:

Our living room was aligned with pictures – of me as a toddler, of my dad during his ninja career, of my mum. I rarely looked at them for more than a second since I was so used to them being there, but one day something stood out to me. I removed one of them off the wall. It was taken barely a year ago, few days before my fateful third birthday; I was smiling happily, my pink hair messy and my eyes sparkling with that childish innocence every child possesses before they learn that the world isn't like in fairy tales. That's what grabbed my attention – that little spark.

I put the picture close to my face and looked in the mirror. Nothing. I even tried mimicking the facial expression. Still nothing. No spark.

I frowned. My fourth birthday was in two days, but surely I couldn't have changed so much in less than a year… Right?

"_Oh, but you have changed."_ I almost jumped at the sound of dad's voice as he appeared behind me. Hm. I didn't realise I had spoken aloud.

"_But how could it be gone so quickly? What do I know now that I didn't know before_?" I asked, still puzzled.

"_You're no longer naïve to the ways of this world, Sakura-hime. When this picture was taken,"_ he indicated to the photo frame still grasped tightly in my hands, "_you still thought like a child. A highly intelligent child, yes,_" he added when I opened my mouth to object, "_but still a child. But during the last year you have learned more than I believed possible. You have changed, Sakura-hime. Not outwardly, but inwardly. Your eyes betray that change. I guess you could call them the windows to the soul." _I looked up when he paused, curious about where he was going to take that thought. _"But like all windows, if you know how to, you can pull the curtains across. Then the window will show nothing. That's something I'll teach you when you're a bit older. Now you still need to enjoy your childhood. Or whatever that's left of it._" He winked and then was gone, just like he wasn't even there to begin with.

I stood there, frozen. Just what did he mean? Why would I want to 'pull the curtains across'?

_Thanks, Dad_. I thought, somewhat bitterly. _Now I have even __**more**__ questions_.

* * *

"_Rule Four?"_

"_A shinobi must always put the mission first. Which I don't get."_

"_Rule Twenty-Five?"_

"_A shinobi must never show emotion. Which I don't get."_

"_Rule Sixteen?"_

"_A shinobi must never question their commander. Which, once again, I don't get. What if the commander's wrong?"_

"_Regardless. Rule Twenty-Seven?"_

"_A shinobi must prepare before it is too late to."_

"_Good." _Dad sighed_. "You don't need to understand them, you just need to know them and obey them."_

"_But if I don't understand them, they why should I obey them? They are just words – if I don't understand them they mean nothing to me." _I argued_._

"_They were made as something for ninjas to rely on. When their job becomes hard and their personal morals get in the way, that's what they fall back on."_

"_So they're excuses? Excuses for murder, for abuse, for stealing and lying? Is that what they're for?"_

"_Wha- They're __**not**__ excuses! What gave you that idea?!"_ he yelled and paused to calm down. "_No, Sakura-hime. They're not __**excuses**__."_

"_But then, why should I put the mission first? What if my teammates are in danger? Are random words written on a scroll more important than __**human beings**__?" _I asked heatedly, then continued before dad had a chance to object._ "Why should I follow my commander's every word? What if he leads the team to certain death? Should I follow him even then, even if there might be another option? And why, for Kami's sake, should I never show emotion?! Sure, that might come in handy when I'm killing innocent people for being on the wrong side of the law, that rids me of guilt, yeah, very nice. But shinobi life isn't all about killing! Ninja are for protection too! And civilians would feel more secure with someone open – for them, trusting someone open and kind comes easier than trusting a human ice-cube, however skilled in a ninja way they may be! __**Why**__, dad? __**Why**__ do we have_ _to live by rules?!"_ I stopped yelling, breathing heavily. My heart was beating loudly when I realised I had just _shouted_ at my superior. Screw that, I had yelled my head off at my **DAD**!

But he surprised me, like he always does in those situations. He just smiled and ruffled my hair, as if we were discussing what kind of cake I want for dessert.

"_It's times like these when I wonder if I had started too early_." He whispered. "_I feel like I should be ashamed of myself for trying to make you perfect, but each time something like this happens, I can't help but be proud."_ I stifled a gasp when I saw tears gathering in his eyes. _"Remember Sakura, there will be people who will have different views than you. There will be those who will refuse to see something in a different way. Whatever you do, don't give in. Always, __**ALWAYS**__ stay by what you believe in. Do you understand?"_

I nodded, suddenly speechless.

"_Great!"_ he exclaimed, all seriousness gone. "_Then put that pouch away and change into some nice clothes, I'm taking you out!"_

At my surprised gaze he laughed and ruffled my hair again.

"_It's your birthday, remember!"_

* * *

Dad had taken me to a small dango place. I had never eaten dango before, and at the beginning, I insisted that I'd have ice-cream, but when dad said mum absolutely _adored_ dango, I just had to try it.

By the first bite, it was love at first sight.

"_Mum was a genius."_ I mumbled in-between bites. Dad just laughed at me.

"_Your mother was a lot of things, Sakura-hime."_

I paused for a second, contemplating the almost riddle-like way he worded the sentence, and the secretive – _was it secretive?_ – glint in his eyes.

But I dismissed it, blaming it on my overactive imagination and my mind over-thinking things.

I'd later learn I should trust my instincts.

* * *

"_Where are we going now?"_ I asked, curious, as I was lead out of the café.

"_I still haven't given you your gift, have I?"_ he replied, eyes gleaming happily.

"_But- the dango!"_

"_Oh Sakura-hime!"_ he laughed. _"Have I really been treating you that badly? No, the café was a celebration, now we're going to buy you your gift!"_

We walked through the streets of Konoha for ten, maybe fifteen minutes until dad stopped and pulled me into one of the shops which I would've just passed by – it was grey, boring, and looked as if it hadn't seen a customer for over a century. But I didn't say anything and allowed dad to lead me inside. As always, the moment I stepped into the secure four-wall-environment I felt instant relief.

I felt dad lightly squeeze my hand, and as I looked up, I gasped.

Walls, shelves, ceiling, even the floors were lined with all sorts of ninja tools; swords, kunai, shuriken, exploding tags, bells, chakra receivers, puppets, chains; then one wall was covered entirely with ninja clothing, and from where I was standing I could see an entire cabinet filled with pills; blood replenishing, soldier, food, chakra pills. It was hard to stop myself from drooling.

I stared at dad, mouth and eyes wide open, perfectly resembling of a fish.

Dad chuckled. "_Well, go on. Choose anything you like. Money doesn't matter. You've got an hour_."

I don't think I've ever loved my dad more.

* * *

"_Ding ding. Time's up, Sakura-hime."_

_What?!_

I could've sworn it's only been five minutes since he left me in the shop to get anything I wanted. Yet the enormous pile of tools by the counter and an almost bigger pile I currently held in my arms stated otherwise.

I thought this would be the last time dad would ever leave me in a shop with an undefined budget, but he took it surprisingly calmly, even bending down to help me heave the stuff I'd placed on the floor onto the counter for the surprised clerk to count.

"_I see you've thought of everything_." Dad chuckled as he saw the range of products I've chosen. I took a little bit of everything, but the thing I was most proud of was the outfit I had chosen for myself – a long, three-quarter sleeved blue top, which was navy at the shoulders and chest then faded into a delicate baby-blue, knee-length navy shorts and standard blue ninja sandals. It was painfully simple, but I fell in love with the softness of the material and the small, white cherry blossoms which ran from the right shoulder to the left side of my waist.

"_Did you leave your kid to do the shopping for you, Urisui-san?"_ the clerk asked as my dad lined up to pay.

"_No, that's not it Shirani-san. You see, all this stuff is for her."_ He replied.

"_For her?"_ The clerk – Shirani-san – asked, pointing at me. "_But the kid can't be older than three."_

I was really tempted to correct the man, but dad did it for me.

"_She's four, actually. And I've started her basic training six months ago, so now we can continue a bit more seriously."_

"_You've already started training her?!"_ Shirani-san asked, seeming almost outraged. Why, I had no clue. _"Urisui-san... Do you not remember what the Hokage said? I thought you realised that your teaching methods are not exactly child-friendly."_ He said icily.

I saw a muscle twitch in dad's jaw before he replied. _"I'm aware of Hokage-sama's opinion, Shirani-san. But Sakura is my daughter, and this was her choice."_ I was shocked. I've never seen dad act so… cold. Like a real ninja. _"And I'll do everything in my power to make her the best ninja this world has ever seen."_

"_That's impossible. You're insane, Urisui-san."_

Now I just had to interrupt. The man was getting on my nerves.

"_Whether a task is possible or impossible depends on the determination of the person attempting it, not the complexity of the task itself."_ I snapped. _"And I would appreciate if you didn't insult my daddy…"_

The clerk just stared down at me for a few seconds (seeing as the top of my head barely even reached the counter) before speaking.

"_Well, here are your things, Urisui-san. Good luck raising your little killing machine_." He said venomously.

I let dad usher me out of the shop, arms stuffed with my shopping, all the while pondering what the man had said. _Would I really grow up to be a killing machine?_

Due to my inner debate, and dad's agitated state, neither of us noticed the pair of crimson eyes which watched us from around the corner. The owner of said eyes reminiscing the times when he was that age; prodigy, better than the rest of his peers, the fruit of his father's mad ambition hailed by all of the villagers. And now, whenever he walked the streets, he would be subjected to whispers, and stares, and would have to bear the knowledge that half the village thought of him as a cold-blooded murder.

He knew the future which lay ahead of the pinkette after having overheard the conversation with the shopkeeper, he knew her future even if she didn't yet know it herself. It would be the same as his.

Seeing the girl walk out of the shop had only confirmed that.

After all, no four-year-old he knew walked soundlessly.

* * *

**Anyone hazard a guess as to who Sakura's little stalker is?**

**It's quite simple, really.**

**Once again, I'm really sorry for the enormous delay,**

**Hope to hear your opinion of this chapter in your REVIEW!**

**I pinky-promise the next update will be out sooner!**

**Ja ne!**


	3. Revelations

**Thanks for all of the awesome reviews, and well done to everyone who guessed Itachi for the last chapter. In fact, you might see a bit of him in this chapter… But shush!**

* * *

After a few more weeks of ferocious training, I began to suspect that the only reason dad took me to that shop on my birthday was so he could take my training one step further.

He said that my incredible progress had completely destroyed what he had expected at the beginning. I was much quicker, and my taijutsu was improving with each day I spent on it.

But every time we sparred, dad still managed to literally kick me around. I knew I shouldn't be surprised, or disappointed, but in the end my frustration still won out.

"_How do you always win?!"_

Dad didn't seem too shocked by my sudden outburst. Instead, he smirked. _"Reason One: __**Dodging**__."_

And a second later he was on me again. Though that time, and every time after that, it was different.

* * *

A year later, I still couldn't win. But at least, if nothing more, I could actually make my dad treat me seriously.

Following my uncharacteristic outburst, he always brought up another reason. Currently, we were on _'Reason Three-Hundred-and-Twenty-Eight: __**Predictability'**_ – he claimed that although I had my speed, and sometimes, with a rare burst of chakra I could disappear for a split second and hit him with an unexpected taijutsu barrel from behind, if one took time to study my style, all the flaws would become painfully obvious, and thus be taken advantage of.

Just as he did with all three hundred and twenty-seven previous ones, he took time to help me fix and remedy my mistakes, showing alternative ways of attacking, or dodging.

Then, the day came; Dad ran out of reasons.

So, I proposed another spar.

We fought tooth and nail, like actual opponents, with a viciousness we had never fought with before. I tried to dodge his wind style, numerous kunai and shuriken, but still took quite a few hits.

However, the longer we fought, the more something stood out to me. A moment later, I confirmed it. From that moment on, I knew it was the only thing I could use as an advantage – even then, barely five years old, there was something I could use to help me win against my dad – to put it simply, I was _already_ faster than him.

The sudden realisation served as a reassurance – I could win. With confidence increased, and a sudden boost of chakra, dad ended up pinned to the forest floor, with me on his back, paralysed by one of his own techniques.

I smirked at his shocked gasp.

_I could get used to this…_

* * *

Dad was away on a mission again. Ever since I beat him, he seemed to be out of the house more often than before. I didn't think he was the sort of person who would avoid me just because I managed to beat him.

It did take me two and a half years. And a fair bit of blood and sweat too.

But, I argued, he was a Jounin Commander after all. Just because he was training me doesn't mean his duties suddenly evaporated.

Then came the day when dad decided to expand on something which would end up saving my life more than once in the future: my surprising gift in chakra control.

To begin with, he gave me a leaf. I looked up at him, expecting it to be some sort of joke. He just gave me his signature eye smile and said:

"_The point is to get this leaf to stick to your hand by only using your chakra. Most ninja can successfully emit chakra from their hands and feet, though there are some exceptions, like the Hyuuga."_ He paused, and I remembered what I've read about all the clans – the Hyuuga were a high-class clan with their own kekkei genkai called the Byakugan, and were capable of expelling chakra from every single one of the 361 tenketsu points. I admired their control.

"_I see you already know your task. Crack on it, then!"_

* * *

I honestly underestimated how annoying a leaf could be.

I was used to routine, a simple way of doing things which could then be tinkered, expanded on, and perfected.

Chakra control was something different. You had to have patience when attempting any sort of chakra manipulation, and the ability to evaluate what you did, and how to improve it.

I was OK with self-evaluation. But I was impatient.

Therefore, my first leaf exploded in my hand. The second one burned. Third ripped. Fourth shrivelled. The following sixteen leaves shared a similar fate, none of them splitting clean in the middle like they were supposed to.

After twenty failed tries, I grew furious. I didn't like _failing_, didn't like _not knowing_, I **hated** everything which I _couldn't_ do.

Dad had once told me I shouldn't bottle my anger inside of myself – I happily followed his advice.

I gathered chakra in my hand like I had been for the past hour, and smashed my palm against the closest tree.

The trunk exploded into smithereens.

I smirked. It was wild, uncontrolled, unpredictable. I just kept gathering chakra in my hand, different amount every time, and tested the effects on the innocent trees. Some caved in, some exploded, some indented, others didn't change state apart from the small area I touched.

Half an hour later I found myself on the forest floor, panting and nearing chakra exhaustion, watching with a satisfied smirk on my face the different levels of destruction I'd caused.

I grabbed a leaf from the ground and took a deep breath. Gathering the last remains of chakra from my system, I engulfed my hand in a soft blue glow. I didn't release it immediately, just concentrated. I thought of a knife's edge, of a sharp gust of wind, or a senbon. Something which could slice neatly in half without too much effort.

I released my chakra at the leaf and opened my fist.

On the palm of my hand lay a leaf, with a perfect, clean cut through the middle.

_Bingo._

* * *

I didn't notice I had fallen asleep and only realised it when I was being shaken awake by dad who had a panicked look on his face.

"_Are you okay? Were you attacked? What happened?"_ he asked, worry evident in his voice.

"_Nothing happened. Everything's fine. Actually, it's even better – look_!" I showed him the leaf in my hand and gestured to the failed ones on the grass_. "I finally did it!"_

A look of understanding flashed in his eyes and he smiled slightly. _"And I take it that the obliterated trees were your way of releasing frustration?"_

I nodded sheepishly. Dad made me prove that I could actually do what he told me to. It took me a second to focus like I had when I did it, and I noticed it took considerably less time than before, and in a few seconds I had it cut straight through the middle.

Dad, visibly pleased at what I could do, proposed; _"Well, are you ready to move onto the next stage?"_

* * *

I was taken to another clearing and dad placed me in front of a tree. I stared at him with a bland look.

Tree climbing. Really?

I read about it, but never really tried it, deciding it was a little too high up for me yet as I was not too clear on my chakra control.

But, if dad believed I could do it, then I would.

I took my time with assessing my chakra, as before I had hundreds of leaves to make mistakes on, but this time, if I fell from the tree it would _hurt_.

I realised that because the tree trunk was stationary, I needed a constant, consistent flow of chakra which would work as a sort of glue for me to stick to the tree with. Once satisfied, I ran at the tree, hoping to use the gained momentum to my advantage.

I quickly made it up ten steps, twenty steps, thirty forty, before I stopped at a branch. I looked down at dad and grinned, waving my arm. He had a shocked, yet pleasantly surprised look on his face, but diligently gave me a thumbs-up for my effort. Then, he turned on his heel and headed out of the clearing.

That surprised me. Was he not proud of me? Wasn't there another stage of training we could move on to? Did this, dare I say, not deserve a 'congratulations' trip to the dango shop like before?

I had, after all, mastered two techniques within a day…

I decided to go down and investigate, but wanted to try something different on my way down.

Instead of running back down the trunk, I bounced from trunk to trunk, using my chakra to momentarily grip the bark, then quickly release its hold on the tree and push away. Once steady on the ground, I looked back up to the branch I was standing on and assessed that it was about thirty meters above the ground. Pleased with my chakra control, I made my way out of the clearing and walked back towards our house.

I stopped short a few meters away from the house, because I saw dad, but the thing which stopped me was the fact that he wasn't alone. I couldn't see the face of the person he was talking to, since they had their back to me, but what I saw was enough to keep me from interfering.

The stranger was at least a foot shorter than my dad, and had long, sleek black hair tied back into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. He didn't look like an adult, even though he had an ANBU uniform on. He and my dad were conversing animatedly about something I was too far away to hear, but judging by my dad's outraged expression, I guessed it was something important.

I crept just a little bit closer, my curiosity finally getting the better of me and I was eager to hear what the males were talking about.

"_-they can't make you do that! Please, let me at least_-!" I was shocked. I've never heard my dad sound so desperate.

"_I'm afraid they can. And they will."_ The – I only just realised – _**boy**_ replied. "_Don't interfere. I really shouldn't have told you in the first place…"_

"_But, if the Hokage hears of this he'll-!" _My dad tried again.

"_The Hokage knows." _The boy snapped_. "It was him who my dad talked to, after all. And he agreed." _

It amazed me how the boy kept interrupting my dad, like he had some kind of superiority over him. However, what made me wary of the raven was his bitterness. It was everywhere, in his voice, his rigid posture, his authoritarian words. Yet I could also see resignation, like whatever he'd been told to do was inevitable, regardless of its cost.

"_Then I have lost every ounce of respect I once held for the man_." My dad spat. "_I swear, if-_ _Sakura, what are you doing here?_" he demanded sharply.

_Oh no._

**Busted. **I was momentarily surprised by Inner's rare comment, yet this time it proved to be absolutely useless.

"_Uh_," I tried my best not to sound meek. "_I climbed the tree, and was just going to get something to eat…"_ I offered, suddenly realising how hungry I was. Then, I added. "_By the way, dad, do we have any dango?"_

I saw the corners of his mouth twitch up into a small smile. I sighed inwardly – saved for the moment.

"_That's fine. There's dango in the top shelf in the fridge. Can you reach it?"_ he asked teasingly.

I huffed, playing along. Muttering a quick 'Arigato' I ran into the house, first searching for the much-needed cure to my sugar-deprivation, then, with the sweet treat safely in my hand, I snuck to the window, hoping to catch the rest of the conversation.

It seemed both males had said whatever they needed to, and I watched as the raven wordlessly extracted a scroll from his pouch. Unsealing whatever was in it, he pulled out a large, traditional-looking wooden box, and a rolled-up piece of paper. He handed both objects to my dad, and they stood in silence for a few seconds.

Finally, the boy bowed, and was just preparing to leave, when my dad's hand moved to lightly ruffle his hair.

I gasped as tears suddenly welled in my eyes. That action was reserved only for _me_… only _**I**_ got to see my dad's soft-side. Who was this boy…?

As they parted ways, I quickly jumped onto the couch to erase any suspicions that I'd been spying, and tried to hide my tears.

When dad walked in, he headed for one of the enormous bookshelves we had in the room and pulled down an ornately-decorated box. As he took off the lid, I realised that the box was full of scrolls. Dad seemed to think about something for a moment then pulled out a bottle-green golden-rimmed scroll from the confines of the box.

"_Here_," he tossed it to me. "_Read it. I think you're old enough now."_

I turned the scroll over in my hands. "_No label_?" I asked rhetorically. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed dad took of the lid from the box he got from the boy as well, and transfer its contents into the scroll box.

I didn't see what they were as I was becoming quickly absorbed into the scroll. It described one of the hardest ever taijutsu styles anyone could imagine, but I quickly realised why he wanted me to read it; '**Specification: Speed, Chakra Control, Manoeuvrability'.**

I scanned over the diagrams and uses, ideas of how to tinker and improve some movements, adjust them to my height, make them more deadly already flooding my mind. Once I was finished I looked up at dad with an exhilarated expression.

"_Where did you get this?" _I breathed. I was sure at least half of the styles shown in here were forbidden due to their effects on the body if performed incorrectly, so it definitely wasn't bought.

"_When I was a genin, my team got into a lot of trouble, very often. We were sort of like that Uzumaki kid, never listening to authorities, dismissing rules. Even our sensei couldn't handle us_." He chuckled.

"_When they realised every '_punishment'_ – an extra-boring D-Rank mission – ended up in even more disaster, they split us up and assigned each of us what seemed like an eternity of D-Ranks. They were extremely boring, yet, I suppose, we deserved them_." A reminiscing look flashed over his face.

_"My last mission was something not even gennin are assigned to, as it's so boring that any normal person will drop dead because of absolute boredom half-way through – I had to make sure every scroll or book in the library was in its correct alphabetical place, and that the boxes had exactly what was written on the contents lists."  
_  
I cringed. I would have died. Or ran away.

_"Half-way through a box, I came upon this scroll. It puzzled me, because it was not on any of the contents lists, and it had no title or letter on it to belong on the shelves. I thought about asking the librarian about it, but decided against it. I was young, and curious, and bored. So I took it. I renewed my search with new determination, hoping to find more scrolls like this. I did. All of them are in this box," _he gestured to the box on the top shelf_. "some of them contain forbidden jutsu, some are just historical records, others have some tips on the most important skills and abilities a shinobi should have, and how to use them. I'll let you read them when you're a bit older. The scroll I gave you contains a thought-to-be-forgotten taijutsu style, which was used widely in the First Shinobi World War due to its' destructiveness. It then became forbidden, for the same reason; it was not only harmful to whoever was on the receiving end, but also to the user, if he made even a single mistake. Mind you, none of the people who used it in the First War had the scroll to learn from, so they didn't know everything about it. It's safe." _

I believe the last part was meant to be reassuring, as if he thought I was worried. Quite the opposite – I was impossibly excited. I had the means and the potential to learn an extinct style, one which no one would know about, and so no one would be able to predict my movements! It was perfect!

Dad must've noticed my excitement as he chuckled and offered to show me how it works. I immediately agreed and led him outside with a new-found bounce in my step.

He made a lazy hand-sign and two Shadow Clones appeared.

"_This is a Shadow Clone," _he explained_. "I'll use it to demonstrate because it is more-"_

"_Stable and solid because it shared half of your own chakra. Yes, I know, dad."_ I finished, not meaning to sound rude, just eager.

He grinned. "_Exactly. I want to use them because they'll show you the damage which can be done by a well-executed attack. Unfortunately, I never quite got around to mastering the full style as I lacked both, the chakra control necessary and the inhumane speed. Still, I think the effect is rather impressing, regardless."_

He stood in front of the first clone and shifted into a stance I didn't recognise. So quickly I almost missed it, he spun into a reverse roundhouse kick and just lightly hit the clone on the head. I nearly scoffed.

But that was before the head and half of the upper body of the clone exploded into a gory, bloody mess. Just seconds later, the clone '_poofed'_ and ceased to exist.

I gaped.

Dad wasn't finished yet. He faced the second clone and shifted into the same stance. Just as fast as before, he cleared the space between him and his clone and drove his fingers into the clone's abdomen. It didn't explode, but the clone 'died' just the same.

Brushing some invisible dust off his jacket, he turned to me with a smirk. "_Nice, huh?"_

I nodded mutely, my mind overcome with one thought;

If dad never got around to fully learning the technique, yet he still could do something like _**that**_, what will I be able to do when I master it?

* * *

Every living, waking moment of the next three months was spent on learning the taijutsu style and applying it in my spars with dad's clones. I asked him once why he didn't spar with me personally anymore, to which he replied 'considering the rate at which I learn everything he throws at me, he wouldn't be surprised if I ended up 'exploding him', and he quite likes his head, so no thanks'.

And I guess he had a reason to be wary.

Given all the information I could need, and armed with my expanding knowledge and experience regarding chakra control, I had the style down in the first month. What I then focused on was expanding it, adjusting and tinkering it to be mine, the perfect, ideal attack. Something I was comfortable with.

By the end of the third month, dad's clones were a bloody mush and my confidence sky-high.

I didn't get to pass on the news to dad, as he was unfortunately away on a mission.

I decided to spend the evening of my success in the dango restaurant, and as I was coming home, I spotted a lone figure crouching on top of one of the lamp posts.

Curious, I quickly scaled the building closest to me and sat on its roof. My heart raced when I recognised the long, black ponytail of the man in front of me. It was the same man who was conversing with my dad a few months before. The same boy who my dad revealed his 'affectionate' side to.

Though this time, he didn't look so talkative. He was in full ANBU gear, katana glistening dangerously in the moonlight.

But there was something which worried me. His eyes were full of steely determination, face set in a near-expressionless mask. And yet, a single tear rolled from his eye, highlighted by the silvery moonlight. Slowly, he turned his head to me and I knew I had been detected. Just before he disappeared, I saw tear-filled crimson eyes and a defeated look.

His mask had crumbled before my eyes.

Unable to understand what could have caused him such grief, I returned home, dango in hand, ready to wait for my dad to return.

It was not until the next day that I realised what I had witnessed.

* * *

It was a tragedy.

An entire clan, single-handedly massacred in one night. One survivor left. The Hidden Leaf Village was bursting with sorrow, hatred and speculation. When dad returned, he found me sitting on the sofa, arms around my knees, reading.

I greeted him with a small smile before returning to my lecture.

Any thoughts I might've had about telling him what I saw the night before were forgotten about. There was no way I could ever share with anyone what I'd witnessed. It'd be my secret.

Dad sighed. "_I take it you've heard about what happened_." It wasn't a question, so I didn't see the point of answering it.

"_Listen Sakura, sometimes people do weird things, scary things, unexplainable things. That's what that boy did. I don't know why he did it-"_

_Lies_. I thought. _He told you, didn't he?_

"_But I know that we can't do anything about it anymore, can we? What's done is done. All I can say is that I feel really sorry for the boy who survived."_

That caught my attention. _"Boy? A boy is the survivor?"_ I asked.

"_Yeah. He's not much older than you, in fact."_

I frowned. _"Why would he leave a little boy alive and massacre the entire clan?"_

"_That boy is his little brother. He couldn't hurt him."_

I paled. Sentimentality. I understood, but leaving the boy alive, without his friends, family, house or comfort seemed more cruel to me than if he'd killed him. But my sense of justice has always been a little different than my dad's.

"_On another note_," dad declared. "_I've signed you up for the Academy! You'll be starting in September!"_

That information successfully erased any thoughts I might have had about the massacre. Instead, I was filled with excitement and anticipation – I hadn't interacted with many children my age, and I was curious how the teachers at the Academy would differ from dad. Would their methods be as 'unorthodox' yet successful as his?

Somehow I doubted it.

"_Sakura, I want to make you aware that I'll be having more missions now, since the massacre has caused other Villages to doubt Konoha's security and efficiency, and it's quite possible that they'll try to attack. Also, someone will have to re-establish the peace-treaties we have with some Villages, since they only sided with us due to the high amount of powerful clans and Kekkei Genkai which reside in our village. Seeing that one of them has been almost completely wiped out, they might try to reconsider their loyalties… I'll be leaving tomorrow."_

I nodded as he kept explaining the politics of the whole operation. I was quite sad that there was a possibility that he'd miss my Opening Ceremony, but I realised that it wasn't that easy to uphold the position as a Jounin Commander.

"_That's fine, daddy. Just make sure you come back in one piece."_ I saw surprise flicker in his eyes. I haven't called him daddy for a while, especially in that context.

He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. _"I promise, Sakura-hime. I won't be gone for longer than a month."_

* * *

I was getting worried. A month passed six days ago. The first of September, the day I'd be starting the Academy was only two weeks away now. Dad was still gone.

I never had a problem with looking after myself when he was gone. It was quite easy – he stashed a large amount of money in his bedside cupboard, so when I had to go grocery shopping I had the money, I could cook some basic meals without setting the kitchen on fire, and I was capable of cleaning the house and doing the laundry.

It was the fact that one day he might not come back that worried me. I knew he was an amazing ninja, strong and capable, but many great ninja died on battlefields, regardless.

I decided to stop worrying, and set to finishing my dango.

* * *

Another week has passed and still no sign of dad. I was lying in my bed, awake in the middle of the night, listening to the sounds of the thunderstorm outside and watching as the lightning struck every so often. I couldn't fall back asleep as my stomach was clenching from worry, and I had a bad feeling about the morning.

Somehow, I dozed off and when I woke up it had stopped raining, but it was still cloudy outside. As I set to making breakfast, I heard a knock on the door. Still in my pyjamas, I quickly went to open it.

I was right.

Dad never returned.

Instead, I was greeted by the sight of the messenger man, same one I saw three years ago, with tear-streaked cheeks and a black-rimmed scroll clutched tightly in his hand.

"I'm sorry."

It was all I needed to hear.

* * *

**Sooo, some suspense.**

**How do you like this chapter? I personally put a lot of time into it, but I think it could've turned back better.**

**Your opinions?**

**I have a basic plot planned out for this story already, but if you have any suggestions, please include them in your REVIEW!**

**~Thank you for sticking with me & till next chapter,**

**Invincible Shadow**


	4. Surprise

**Hey again my lovelies!**

**I really want to thank everyone for their reviews – they're the reason this chapter isn't as ridiculously late as the previous one… and I felt really motivated to write something. Hope this is good enough!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I was shattered.

I couldn't hear what the man was saying – all I could see was my dad's smiling face as he reassured me that he would definitely come home. Yet he didn't. The promise was broken; the reassurance meaningless.

And yet, even though I was slowly breaking, falling apart from my despair, I didn't shed a single tear. I couldn't.

I realised I had been completely ignoring what the man before me was saying and sobered up to catch the end of what I realised must've been an apology.

"_-I'm truly sorry, we were all expecting an attack but they cast some sort of jutsu which masked their chakra and smell and it was raining in the night and the thunder made it impossible to hear anything and then Orochimaru came out and I'd warned Urisui not to challenge him or stay, that we had to run, to report, but our teammate was caught and the stupid snowflake couldn't just let his teammate be sacrificed and had to run and save him and Orochimaru knew, and- _oh god_, he _**knew**_…"_ the end of the half-unintelligible tirade turned into a whimper as the man before me fell on his knees and broke into sobs which racked his whole body. In a way, he was suffering as much as I was; he was there, he _saw_ it.

And secretly, I envied him for being able to express his pain outwardly.

Numbly, I went to get the man a tissue and gave him a few seconds to compose himself. He gratefully accepted the tissue and tried to hold in his sobs. At last, he stood up and thrust out the hand which was holding the scroll.

"_I-I,"_ he hiccupped. _"I'm sorry. I-I can't imagine how hard it is for you. Your father was a great man."_ He paused, the '_was'_ ringing painfully clear in my ears. _"I will see to it that his name is engraved on the memorial stone_." He tried to send me a smile, but the pain and grief evident in his eyes destroyed the happiness of the action.

I felt somehow guilty. This man who only knew my father as a teammate was grieving more than I seemed to be. But on the inside, my heart, lungs, brain; everything I needed to live or feel emotions with was tearing itself to shreds. I waited until the man turned on his heel and left before I dared to walk back into the house.

Breakfast forgotten, I trudged over to the sofa, mind and body set on autopilot, as I sat down and wrapped my arms around my knees as means of comfort. Here, in the confines of my own house, I could grieve in peace.

Still, the tears did not come.

I don't know how long I sat there. Seconds blended into minutes, minutes into hours, hours into days. The pain didn't recede. Until, after what felt like an eternity, I heard a bang. Jumping, I looked out the window and saw that it was raining, and then I heard the thunder again. Suddenly, an enormous fear seized me, and I ran, petrified into my bedroom, moving for the first time in days.

The words '_it was raining in the night and the thunder made it impossible to hear anything and then Orochimaru came…' _kept ringing in my ears, over and over and over_. _I cried, shaking like a leaf. I have never cried because of thunder, but after realising that it had, in a way, been an indirect cause of my father's death, it petrified me. So, for the first time in my life, I cried myself to sleep.

When I woke up, I was no longer in the state I was in after I heard the news. My movements were robotic and routine, no emotion apart from cold detachment evident on my face, which was so unlike me I shivered every time I passed a mirror.

And yet, I was finally doing something other than existing, and as I sat down to eat my breakfast, I chanced a glance at the calendar – _29__th__ August_ blinked back at me. I frowned, trying to remember why that seemed so important. Suddenly, like a slap to the face, I realised – I will be starting Academy in three days!

Somehow, the prospect of starting school didn't excite me as much as before – I started seeing the negative side of school – interactions with typical children my age, ignorant and inexperienced; simple, mind-numbingly boring lessons; and at least six years cooped up in that building before I can become a real ninja.

Yeah. No wonder it seemed so dull after I realised the true extent of the Academy.

But I promised dad. And I'd rather die of boredom five days a week than break that promise.

_I could bring some reading material…_ I consoled myself_. The only problem is, I've read through all of the scrolls I own at least twice already._

Suddenly, my eyes fell on the box which lay innocently on the top shelf. What had dad said? That it contains the scrolls I could read when I'm a bit older.

_Well, sorry dad. I need some boredom reliever, and you're not here to stop me._

When I realised what I'd thought, tears gathered in my eyes. How could I just… _so_ mindlessly… _so_ ignorantly… have I forgotten him already?

Angry at myself, I swiped at the tears and reached for the box. I haven't forgotten him… I'm just… coping.

Before I could take of the lid, something else fell from the shelf. It was a rolled up piece of parchment, and somehow, I recognised it. Curious, I opened it.

_Urisui,_

_I know that what I have done has made you view me in a completely different light than before. I apologise for betraying your trust but there was nothing else which could've been done, and I cannot share with you the reasons for my actions._

_I write this as a final request, and in a way, to relieve some of my guilt. _

_You were always one of the few I trusted . When my cousin first introduced us, I was… _wary_ of you, to say the least. You were always so cheerful and happy, __**too**__ happy, and, I admit, it has led me to doubt your experience – after all, I thought, how could you have witnessed the reality we live in and still stay so happy?_

_It baffled me. _

_Only after you were assigned to my ANBU squad did I realise how wrong I was. You were vicious, clear, and determined on missions, yet with an obvious, almost painful desire to live and come back home._

_I always wondered why they assigned a Jounin to an ANBU squad. _

_I realised soon enough – nobody ever died when we followed your plans._

_Now I know what you'd say, in fact, I can still picture you trying to comfort me saying that;_

"_It was an unpredictable, unavoidable turn of events and if anyone's to blame for Shizuo's death it's definitely NOT you but the bastards who'd killed him!"_

_It was so noble of you, comforting me like that, but regardless of all your efforts, it still added up to the same reality;_

_Intentionally or not, I had killed Shizuo. I had ruined his life. _

_That's why I wish, I hope, I would even beg you if I could, protect Sasuke. Steer him onto the right path, make sure I won't ruin his life like I ruined Shizuo's._

_He's all I have left._

_I'm afraid this is the last time I'll be able to communicate freely with you. Next time we meet, it'll probably be as enemies, on a battlefield. _

_So I have one more thing to ask of you;_

_Whatever you may hear about me in the upcoming years, please, don't think any less of me. Know, that under all the masks I'll wear, I'll always be __**Konoha's**__ Uchiha Itachi._

_Please remember that. And look after your daughter. She needs you. _

_-Eternally yours,_

'_Your little pacifist'  
Uchiha Itachi_

* * *

Shock. Disbelief. Surprise. Anger. Fear.

Those were the emotions which shot through me at astounding speed, mingling into one, then separating again, some becoming clearer at various parts of the letter. Had I not stumbled upon this, I would've been completely oblivious, or still wallowing in my grief. Because, well, who'd have told me? Uchiha Itachi is currently a missing-nin with a bounty on his head; dad is dead; none of their teammates are mentioned apart from the dead one – this secret would've been taken to the grave. Literally.

I was far from being the perfect daughter, but did I not deserve to know of my dad's past?

I guess it doesn't matter now anyway – there's no one I know who could tell me anything about him. Feeling more than a little confused, I headed out of the house, scrolls forgotten, to train.

I lost myself in the speed of the attacks, the familiarity of the exercises as I vented out my frustration, one thought present in my head '_He never told me… anything'_. I ignored the pain as my knuckles split against the bark of the trees, or my muscles when they pulled and almost ripped due to the speed. I kept going, always circulating chakra, wanting, needing to believe that if I push the feelings of pain, anger, betrayal to the back of my mind and ignore them they'll really disappear.

Unfortunately, it seemed that feelings were like babies; the more you try to ignore them, the louder they get.

Still unsatisfied, I kept going. I kept going until I realised I would collapse if I didn't stop. Emotionally, physically, and chakra exhausted, I staggered back home and into the shower. The hot water washed away the blood, grime and sweat which covered me, and relaxed my tense muscles. I was soon forced to abandon my little piece of heaven as the water turned cold. Wrapped in a white, fluffy towel, I headed out of the bathroom and into my room and collapsed onto the bed, asleep the moment my head made contact with the pillow.

* * *

Next morning I found myself easily falling back into the routine I always used when dad was away on missions. Except that this time, there was never a smile on my face; when I went out to the shops, I stopped to greet some villagers I had become acquainted to via dad, and many of them had asked me how I was coping. I couldn't give them the honest answer – _not at all_, so instead, I thanked them for their concern and forced a smile onto my face, regardless of the fact that my facial muscles always gave a vicious protest.

I stepped into the shady shop which has become my most-often-visited place over the last two years. The shopkeeper, who still disliked me regardless of the fact that I was probably his most loyal customer, gave me a rare smile as I walked in.

"_I heard the news."_ Was his greeting.

_Yeah_, I thought_. Kind of hard not to have. _

Having once heard dad say that sarcasm is one of the services I _shouldn't_ offer, I simply settled for justifying my reason of visiting his shop.

"_I'm starting Academy the day after tomorrow. I want to look cool."_ I know appearance shouldn't really be a ninja's concern, but I wanted to make it clear that I didn't want anyone to approach me, and to those brave – (read: _stupid_ ) – souls who'll disregard my warning… well, it won't be pretty.

Shirani-san seemed to catch on quite quickly. "_Ah. OK, follow me kiddo_." He led me to the back of the shop, and after some rifling through the hangers, he pulled out a pretty two-piece grey and black outfit. It consisted of a black short-sleeved mesh shirt, a sleeveless grey vest which went over that, and black leggings. "_This should do._" He fidgeted for a second before he went and dug some more in the back. A few seconds later, he came back holding something in his hand. "_Here. I'm sorry for your loss."_ He stated gruffly while not even looking at me, as he thrust out his hand.

Gingerly taking the black material which was held in his hand, I gasped as I realised they were gloves. Not only that, I realised as I put them on – the gloves, when put on properly would stretch over the elbow, but I noticed small holes about three-quarters of the way up… just like they were made for-

"_Senbon needles."_ I muttered. _"A self-launching machine_." I glanced up at Shirani-san's retreating back with a new-found respect. That man knew exactly what to do to make me feel better, as ridiculous as that sounds.

Walking out of the shop, the new outfit ready in the bag together with my soon-to-be-best-friend senbon machine, I went home to prepare for the first day of school… Which will be tomorrow.

* * *

The Great Opening Ceremony was everything… but _great_. I can't remember what I imagined it'd be like all those years ago when I first learned of the ninja world, but my imagination was definitely better than reality.

Generally, it can be summed up in two words – absolute boredom. It consisted of the Hokage talking about how a Village's future relies on its Genin and Academy students, which, in a way is right, but by the time he got to that point most people had already stopped paying attention and were examining their surroundings, waiting for his speech to end. I wondered how they managed to cram so many people into one room – there were at least hundred children and each had their parents or clan representatives alongside them.

In fact, the four-wall arrangement managed to provide a source of amusement; about half-way through the Hokage's speech, somebody literally flew through the wall, leaving a small, human-sized hole in the construction. The culprit stopped for a minute, shook the dust from his hair, looked around, and, as my eyes adjusted to the insane brightness of his blonde hair, I noticed the small wince he gave as the adults, as if on some unspoken command, all turned to glare at him. The boy quickly collected himself and plastered on a cocky grin.

"_Ne, Old-Man, stop talking already, you're boring them to death, dattebayo_!" and he turned on his heel and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him out of the door.

Even I had to stifle my gasp at the blatant lack of respect the kid had for the Hokage (I supposed he was older than me, but given my obvious intellectual superiority, I was therefore given the right to call him '_kid'_) but the man just went on talking like nothing had happened, the only sign of weariness or annoyance being the deep sigh and puff of his pipe he gave. Soon, everyone fell back into the sleepy trance.

Once the Hokage finished talking, we were dismissed and led to our classrooms by our senseis. I immediately headed for the desk at the very back of the class, inwardly scoffing at the people who sat right in front of the sensei. Our sensei, who introduced himself as Kaimei-sensei, then began giving us a basic recap of the Hokage's speech, and the plan for our Academic career. I tuned him out, instead deciding to analyse my classmates.

At first glance, four out of twenty eight people stood out. One was a girl who was taking notes of what the sensei was saying. I held in the urge to laugh. The second one seemed to be dozing off, and every time his eyes slid shut he would jerk up and look around like a scared rabbit to see if he'd been caught. The third and fourth were simply annoying- they were chatting so loudly I wondered how the sensei didn't hear them. I guessed he just liked the sound of his own voice.

Sighing, I pulled out a scroll I had taken from the box and immersed myself in it. I was curious what it contained, and was pleasantly surprised when I realised it contained a detailed map of the village's underground tunnels which were used in the First Shinobi War. I was even more surprised by the fact that most of them were still intact.

As I finished my reading and moved to roll the paper back into a scroll I noticed the small Uchiha crest on the back. _So this was what the Uchiha gave dad… but why would he steal scrolls from his own family and give them to dad right before he assassinated them? I doubt he held any sentiment towards the library. _

Before I knew it, we were released home. Looking back, I realised that it wasn't as bad as I thought.

* * *

An entire month passed that way. Kaimei-sensei soon realised that I really didn't wish to contribute in class discussions, and stopped taking away my scrolls as he discovered it didn't lead to anything good. Throughout the whole month, I had not spoken to any of my classmates, but I knew almost everything there was to know about each of them.

Though one day, something changed. I saw _him_.

It happened during recess as we were finally allowed to go onto the shared playground, not the little garden reserved for the first years. I was, as always, alone, scroll and lunch in hand as I headed for the shade of the trees. I stopped a few steps short as I realised someone was already occupying the bench.

If the glaringly obvious Uchiha crest on his back didn't betray his identity, the black hair and obsidian eyes did. Or rather, the hatred, pain and solitude I saw in those eyes. Sasuke Uchiha sat before me, his lunch untouched and hands folded under his chin, arrogantly glaring at anyone who dared to come near him.

I squared my shoulders and cleared my face of expression, then proceeded to walk to one of the trees by the bench he sat on, acutely aware of his piercing glare. But I ignored it in favour of sitting down, back propped up against the tree, and pulling out the scroll and dango.

I also ignored the indignant squeals which came from the girls surrounding him. All more than ten meters away, in fear of his glare. During the month spent at the Academy I realised that the Uchiha had a large fanclub, which consisted of girls from pretty much every year.

Still, as I hadn't removed my attention from the scroll on my lap – this time about the water walking practice which I was determined to master once I got home – the glares and whispers slowly receded. As he noticed my apparent disinterest in his person, Sasuke's glare disappeared.

I let the silence go on for a few more minutes before my curiosity got the better of me.

"_Who do you hate so much, Uchiha?"_ I asked quietly. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed his head snap in my direction, but I kept my eyes fixed on the scroll in front of me.

After a few seconds, he scoffed. "_You know nothing_." Still, his gaze did not leave me.

"_I know more than you can imagine, and see something you are too blinded by your hatred to see._" I responded vaguely, delighting in his puzzled expression. _"My father once told me you shouldn't bottle up your hatred inside of you as it's unhealthy. I agree with him, but for a different reason. Hatred is a passion too. Use it to your advantage; it'll give you the determination to get stronger. Sulking in the shadows has never achieved anything." _

I turned to face him, a small smile on my face. I took in his wide, disbelieving eyes and squashed the urge to smirk knowingly. If he thought he hated, despised, he was wrong. His hatred was useless, I mused, since he had no idea what to do with it. It was slowly destroying him.

His brother's plea to my father flashed before my eyes. In a way, I was steering him onto the right path – I could see it in his eyes, in those few seconds, I had given him a purpose. Perhaps it was not the most orthodox way of getting someone out of depression, and the opposite of what his brother desired, but who was I to care for what a missing-nin wanted?

"_You're not the only one who'd lost someone important."_ And with those words, I rose and left the sad boy behind, just seconds before the bell rang.

* * *

"_Right, settle down! I need to run to the office and collect something; I'll be back in a minute!"_ Kaimei-sensei announced. I shrugged, opening the scroll to continue where I'd left off. But it seemed someone had different intentions.

"_Oi, Pinky!"_ someone hollered. "_What were you doing with Sasuke-kun today?"_ I raised my eyes, and wasn't surprised to see Desumari and her little group of followers. I noticed one of them was carrying a can of some sort, but dismissed it in favour of responding.

"_I was talking. It's something civilized people do, you know? Instead of hollering across the room_." I replied blandly. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that Kaimei-sensei had returned and was looking questioningly in our direction.

"_Don't try to be smart with me, you loser! This will teach you to never talk to Sasuke-kun again!" _at some unseen command, the girl who held the can swung it towards me, spilling its' contents. I quickly realised it was paint, but it seemed to be coming in slow motion compared to how fast I moved. In a split I had stood up and grabbed the scroll I'd been reading from the desk and ran to the other side of the room. I was there before the paint even touched where I'd been sitting a few seconds before.

I relished in the girls' surprised expressions as they looked to where I'd gone to, before a voice called out.

"_Desumari, you and your friends better come see me at the end of the day for detention. In the meantime, Sakura, come here_." Kaimei-sensei commanded.

I followed obediently and turned to face him. "_Yes, sensei?"_ I asked innocently.

"_Academy students are not supposed to know the Shunshin technique. It eats chakra and usually isn't taught until Chunin level. And you didn't use handsigns. What did you _do_, Sakura?"_

I supressed a smirk. He'd mistaken my little escape as _Shunshin_ – a technique which used a quick burst of speed which made it seem as if the user was teleporting. It was in one of the scrolls I'd read, and I supposed it might've been written by Shisui Uchiha _himself_ considering the amount of ways which the scroll gave in which the jutsu could be altered.

Deciding not to spill all of my secrets just yet, I simply replied. "_I guess I'm just special, sensei."_

* * *

**~Two Years Later~**

Months had gone by really quickly, and I have to say, although I had not learned much, I began to enjoy the Academy. I had met someone who'd made it possible. In fact, that person was heading my way, right now. It seemed he could find me anywhere, even when I didn't want to be found.

Such as now. When I was on the rooftop. Shying away from people. Yet, he was there.

"_Guess I can never get rid of you, can I, Neji-chan?"_

* * *

Neji had to hand it to the kid – she really knew how to annoy him to death. Although he had only known her for a year, and still wasn't too fond of the brat, if someone ever tried to take her away from him, he'd kill them. He remembered when he first met her.

_Neji was training by himself near the stream, hoping to finally master the Gentle Fist: Sixty-Four Palms, when he spotted someone on the other side of the stream. He supressed a scoff – the kid had pink hair, yet he could sense that she had some chakra, so she definitely wasn't civilian. But then the kid did something which almost made him lose his balance – she stepped into the stream and stood on the water. Then, calm as if it was something she did every day, she walked to the other side. _

_As she climbed out, she noticed Neji staring at her. One of her pink eyebrows rose, a curious expression flashing on her face. Although Neji guessed the kid couldn't be older than six, the expression on her face was not that of childish curiosity. It was cool, analytical, and his theory of her being a ninja at least in some form was confirmed when her eyes flashed to meet his._

_But then she spoke, and ruined everything._

"_Why are you staring like that? Do you want me to bow down to you or something?" Neji couldn't believe the nerve of this girl. Did she not know who he was? As if reading his mind, she grinned. "Oh, I know exactly who you are. But I don't respect people unless they've earned that respect, like the Hokage, or the Sannin. But you? What had you, or your clan done, hm? Your clan killed an innocent man; that's hardly respectable."_

_Neji couldn't believe it. This girl was either foolish, or suicidal. Probably both, he concluded. Even now, at barely ten years old he already had the Academy senseis bowing down to him, yet this girl refused to. Suddenly, her last sentence hit home. Rage overtook his senses. _

"_That man was my __**father**__." He spat._

_The previous expression of lazy defiance which marred the girl's face was gone. Instead, shock and bewilderment replaced it, together with a small flicker of comprehension in her icy jade eyes._

"_You're Hyuuga Hizashi's son." The statement was devoid of emotion, but there was a small, barely noticeable undertone which unsettled Neji._

"_You're… excited." He noted with a fair bit of apprehension leaking into his voice._

"_I told you, I don't respect people unless they've earned that respect, but you, Hyuuga, your eyes betray you. I can see that you want this respect badly, be it from your classmates, senseis, elders; anyone will do. You __**crave**__ acceptance and respect."_

_Neji sent her a blank stare. "You're delusional."_

"_You know I'm right. And if you really want that respect, which we both know you do, then come,"_

_The brunette watched her shift into a stance, and before his surprise caught up with him, he noted that her stance was not the widely-preached Academy style, yet it held no resemblance to his Juuken either._

"_If you really want my respect," her eyes gleamed, "Then come and fight me for it!"_

_Neji snapped. "You scum. I'll destroy you!"_

* * *

Needless to say, their first encounter hadn't been the most pleasant one, but it had taught him one thing – to never underestimate his opponent. Especially if they have pink hair. Because he'd underestimated her greatly, and he still wondered, after having seen what had happened to the tree which she'd touched after he just barely managed to dodge out of the way, what would've happened to him if he hadn't moved, considering that the tree exploded into smithereens.

So they'd been playing their little game of cat and mouse, somehow managing to keep it secret from Neji's uncle and the senseis. Their dislike for each other was still great, but at least they didn't try to purposely kill each other when they sparred, unless he had said one word too many about destiny, or she said one word too many about his clan.

He smirked at her comment. _"No, I guess you can't. And stop calling me –_chan_, flea!"_

_And on it went._

* * *

"_Alright! Get into pairs everyone; girls with girls, boys with boys."_

I was quickly sought out by Desumari, who still held a grudge over that accident two years ago. Apparently she had to clean the tables of the bubble gum the older students stuck under the desks.

"_Pinky_." She sneered. I barely managed to stifle a scoff. Instead of sounding intimidating like I assumed her intention was, she looked more like a wet poodle.

I schooled my features into absolute calm, which was quite hard considering how badly I wanted to burst out laughing, and replied. "_Desumari_."

_"Right!_" Kaimei-sensei clapped his hands to get the students' attention. "_We'd been practicing basic offensive and defensive moves, and you'll expand on them in your future years at the Academy. However, there's a great difference between practicing on dummies and real people. All you're going to do is a combination of four attacks, then switch to the defensive and let the other person attack. Remember, you're not trying to hurt or injure the person. This is just a drill. Ready? Start!"_

My eyes met Desumari's, and I realised that this wouldn't be 'just another drill' to the brunette. She would do her best to injure or humiliate me.

Absentmindedly, I realised I could hear Konohamaru bragging about how he was going to thrash his opponent. I spared a pitiful glance at the cocky boy. His opponent was a Hyuuga.

_He's lost already. _

I almost felt sorry for him until I realised I'd have a similar 'problem' at hand. I knew that for a few seconds at least I'd have to use the Academy style and pretend she is a worthy opponent, until I could beat her.

With 'as little violence as possible'.

_Che. You wish. _

From the second the sensei gave the command 'start' she pounced on me, hoping to use my surprise to her advantage. Of course, little did she know that I was more than used to random creepy things jumping out at me.

I easily batted away or ducked under her attacks, not even one of them touching me. This was like a vacation compared to my usual training. I decided to push her one step further and lazily yawned while I pirouetted out of the way of her (badly aimed) kick.

Snarling angrily, she stopped her attacks. Out of curiosity, I stopped as well. She must've noticed what was happening, that she wasn't getting anywhere, and I was curious as to what she was going to do about it.

Whatever I was expecting, it definitely wasn't what she _did_ do.

"_So_," she started conversationally, "_how's that whore you call a mother?"_

I stifled the urge to gasp.

"_Oh, wait, I forgot; you don't know! And your daddy isn't any better either, is he, huh, Pinky?"_

Relax, she's bluffing, she doesn't know.

But even with that knowledge, I couldn't stop myself. I was already jumping towards her, chakra drawn into my fingertips, waiting to come in contact with her body, ready to obliterate her pretty little face and watch the blood splatter on the grass. I was mere inches from her, taking sick satisfaction in the scared look on her face.

She knew me as the girl who sat in the shadows, not a taijutsu master.

It was just a few more inches and my strike would've connected but I was instantly frozen on the spot by an inhumane wave of Killing Intent.

Dad had shown me what Killing Intent was and what it was capable of, but his Killing Intent was like a needle point – sharp but focused, it pricked you so casually like it was an everyday thing and I quickly learned to break its' hold on me without the need of self-harm.

However, this one… this was Killing Intent on a whole different level. It was all over the place, it was wild, it was chaotic, it was blood-thirsty. I could see the monochrome vision of my death and I inwardly berated myself for not noticing the five ANBU who stood on the Academy walls.

_Of course,_ I thought. _ANBU. No surprise their intent is so intense_.

I quickly realised I had to break its' hold on me. Although I knew it was fake, watching my death over and over again was not my favourite past-time. Forcing my arm to move while still in the vision was no easy feat, and having finally grabbed hold of my kunai – a weapon I theoretically wasn't even supposed to own yet – I had no hesitation and quickly stabbed it into my thigh.

The fresh wave of pain which hit me successfully dispelled the illusion. As my consciousness returned to me I realised that three of the ANBU were taking the kids who'd fainted under the effects of the illusion back into the class, while Kaimei-sensei was talking with the leader. I briefly wondered where the fifth one was before I spotted him a few meters from where I stood, his masked face turned towards me.

Guarding me.

I gave an experimental spike of my chakra then quickly realised it was a bad idea when sensei and the ANBU turned in my direction. I gulped out of instinct as both approached me.

"_Sakura, how did you break the illusion?"_ was the first thing Kaimei-sensei asked. I wordlessly motioned towards my leg and the kunai still stuck in it. Sensei was about to open his mouth, probably to rebuke me for harming myself, but the ANBU cut in.

"_That's unimportant. Or rather, it only proves my point. How good is she in class?" _he questioned rather rudely.

"_W-Well, she's the top kunoichi when it comes to written tests. Always gets 100% regardless of the_ _fact that she never listens."_ He sent a playful glare my way, "_But her class participation is appalling. And, don't get offended, but you always sit by yourself, yet you seem to be doing just fine."_

The ANBU nodded. _"And her physical?"_

"_Fit as a fiddle, even gives the boys a run for their money once we can actually get her on the track."_

The ANBU nodded again. "_That's all I need to know. Come on now, kid, you're coming with me. Time to pay the Hokage a little visit."_

I looked up at him, startled beyond belief. "_Hokage?"_ I asked, "_But why?"_

"_To get permission to let you graduate with this year's Gennin."_

* * *

**Ta-Da!**

**It's inhumanly long, this chapter is. Probably longest I've ever written. Geez. That took a while. Just a warning though, if you see any mistakes, it's because I never Beta-Read my chapters. I always release them straight after I finish writing. **

_**DiamondForest**_**: I hope you'll like what you see… **

_**angelwolf123**_**: I considered your ide, and twisted it slightly… what do you think?**

**As always, if you have any suggestions or comments, please do send them with your REVIEW!**

**See ya'll next chapter!**

**Love~**


	5. Graduation

**Hi! A massive Thank You to all of my reviewers who'd been amazingly awesome with their reviews! Sorry it's so long since I updated, but school, as you all probably know, is a big fat poo who feeds on your free time.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

I was waiting outside of the Hokage's office for the mysterious ANBU who had brought me here to come out. My head was still buzzing with what he told me about – _Gennin_ graduates. He wanted _me_ to _graduate_ at the age of eight.

I was startled out of my musings as the door to the office opened and the ANBU came out. His mask was still on, but from the aura radiating off his body I could imagine the self-satisfied smirk which undoubtedly lay beneath it. I looked up at him expectantly.

"Come to the Academy at eight in a week's time. Room 103A. Oh, and here, I've got something for you." He held out his hand and I was sure my jaw had hit the floor when I saw the glistening Konoha insignia attached to the headband. "Welcome to the ninja world. You're officially a Gennin."

I was tempted to indulge in a victory dance, but something popped up in my mind; something which planted a small seed of doubt about the whole ordeal and made me retract my hand. "What about standard procedure? Isn't there some kind of test?" I asked carefully. The ANBU chuckled.

"This was part of the test." I felt my jaw drop slightly. That _cunning, little, deceiving_…! "And you passed it."

_Oh._

"Now it's time for the practical part! Come with me." And he led me back to where he came from – mainly, the Hokage's office. I was still annoyed by the fact that he'd tricked me and I was nervous about whatever he was going to make me do. However, the moment I stepped into that room I saw that there were not only the Hokage and my ANBU overseeing this, but the Elders.

Immediately, my posture straightened and I set my expression into that of polite detachment, my resolve strengthened. There was no way I would fail, regardless of what it was they wanted me to do. Not when **all** of my Village's representatives were watching.

"Ah, Sakura-chan. I've been informed of your case, and frankly, it's quite peculiar." The Hokage spoke up. Though it was my first time seeing the man in flesh, I could tell there was something underneath his grandfatherly appearance. Something… sinister. "Your father was an incredible man and an exceptional ninja who always fought for a noble cause. I believe you can follow his footsteps, from what your file and ANBU-san here tell me. However, before we can proceed any further, in this case - making you a Konohagakure gennin - we have to go through with the standard Academy tests."

"There goes your 'standard procedure'." The ANBU muttered into my ear, and I almost jumped when I realised he was still next to me.

"The typical Academy practical tests for potential gennin graduates is fairly straightforward – it consists of the Clone Technique, Body Replacement Technique and Transformation Technique. I assume you're familiar with them?"

I lost all sort of composure the moment I heard that. "Beg your pardon, Hokage-sama, but is that it?" I burst out.

The Hokage looked surprised, but I saw one of the Elder's eyes, or, eye glint mysteriously. Like he knew what I meant, or even, expected me to say that. That unsettled me. I'd spent ages trying to make sure no one could predict what I was doing, or was going to do. And here he was, looking at me like he knew everything about me.

At the Hokage's command, I performed each of the techniques he requested, since all of them were in the scrolls I found in the box. The Hokage took notes on every jutsu I did, and for some reason it made me feel quite self-conscious. Soon, I was done, and waiting for what the Hokage had to say, when suddenly, a kunai came whizzing straight at my head. Only good reflexes and years of training with pointy weapons popping out at me saved my head from being permanently separated from my body as I quickly reached into my own pouch and deflected the weapon so it landed harmlessly on the floor, next to the ANBU's feet.

"Danzo!" the Hokage called, sounding shocked. "We'd finished the test!"

"A shinobi's life depends on their good reflexes." The man replied gruffly, like his reason justified everything. And, in a way, it did.

"Right. Sakura-chan, I am pleased to inform you that you have passed the test, meeting our expectations and even going beyond them. Here is your hitai-ate."

I took a cautious step in his direction, before I stopped to ask, "This isn't another test, is it?" this time the Hokage actually chuckled before he reassured me that no, it wasn't. Any doubts I might've had cleared, I carefully took my headband from him and bowed respectfully, and left the office.

The second I was out of that room and a safe distance away from the place, I stopped in a park to catch my breath. I stood there, shocked beyond belief, tentatively fingering the navy cloth still in my hands. A gennin… four years earlier than I expected. I was suddenly seized by the urge to dance around in joy, something I had not done for Kami knows how long. Instead, I settled for tying the headband loosely around my neck and running off to my favourite dango place for a lengthy celebration.

* * *

Meanwhile, the soon-to-be jounin senseis were all lined up and waiting for orders regarding their future teams.

All apart from one.

He sat in one of the chairs furthest from the group, still leafing through the files on his little fledglings, his hand occasionally reaching up to tug at his short black hair in frustration. He kept glaring at the paper, wishing it would burst into flames. The whole thing was just a nightmare to him… or the beginnings of one.

* * *

**Name**: Akane Satoshi

**Age**: 12

**Acad. Graduation Age**: 12

**Height**: 149

**Hair**: Red

**Eyes**: Green

**Affiliation**: Konoha.

Mother: (Out of Village)

Father: 39

**Special Abilities**: Ninjutsu type. Medical ninja.

**Other**: Loud and eccentric, acts before he thinks.

* * *

**Name**: Kaoru Yuhi

**Age**: 12

**Acad. Graduation Age**: 12

**Height**: 158

**Hair**: Brown

**Eyes**: Brown

**Affiliation**: Konoha, Yuhi Clan

Mother: 36

Father: (Deceased)

**Special Abilities**: Genjutsu type.

**Other**: Quiet and reserved, kind.

* * *

**Name**: Sakura Haruno

**Age**: 8

**Acad. Graduation Age**: 8

**Height**: 136

**Hair**: Pink

**Eyes**: Green

**Affiliation**: Konoha, Haruno Clan:

Mother: (Deceased)

Father: (Deceased)

**Special Abilities**: Taijutsu type.

**Other**: Intelligent, quiet, prefers to be left alone.

* * *

_So, I have a hyper idiot, a quiet, reserved guy, and an anti-social genius. Bloody peachy._

"Izaya-kun, could you stop antagonizing over your team and come over here?" the Hokage's voice rang in his ears and he heard the other senseis chuckle at the words.

Wordlessly, he rose of his chair and grabbed the files as made his way to his position in the ranks of soon-to-be senseis.

"Gomen, Hokage-sama. I just thought the Council decided to stop producing more _Uchiha Itachis_." He said bitterly and realised that with his statement he immediately had everybody's attention.

"That is true, Izaya-kun." Hiruzen replied calmly.

"Then why does my team have an eight year old girl? An _eight year old,_ Hokage-sama. Isn't that a little hypocritical?"

"The reasons the girl was placed on your team run deeper than you can imagine, so if you'd be so kind as to not question them any further and simply accept the girl into your team, I would greatly appreciate it." The kind voice was gone, instead replaced with the steely hard tone, and for a moment Izaya saw in his eyes what had allowed this man to become God of Shinobi. The cold, unyielding resolve which overpowered his enemies and made even the most prideful of men obey his command.

Lowering his eyes to the floor, he tuned out what the Hokage had to say and began formulating a plan for how to test his little team. Since, obviously he needed to see if they were worthy of his attention. And possibly to find out more about the mysterious pinkette.

* * *

I ran home straight after having a little feast in the dango restaurant, and as I burst through the door, I called out; "Dad, dad! I passed, I'm a gennin!"

When my exclamation was met with silence, the bitter reality barrelled into me.

Dad wasn't here.

Tears gathered in my eyes, but I stubbornly held them back. It had been two years. I thought I was over it, or at least, used to coming back to an empty house.

**Well, you thought wrong.**

_I guess I was just- that after all the effort he went through – I thought he would at least be here to see it._

**You're lonely.**

_I'm not._

**You're alone – lonely.**

_Alone doesn't mean lonely._

**You're arguing with a voice **_**in your head**_**. You **_**are**_** lonely.**

_I'm __**not**__. I've got Neji-chan._

**Yes, maybe, but no one else.**

The weight of Inner's words sunk in and I suddenly realised she was right. But, I reasoned, in a week I would be meeting my team. Once I was on active duty, with a team to work with, the spare time for social life would decrease, so there was no point worrying about it.

Then a thought hit me. Was I arguing with Inner… or trying to convince myself?

* * *

The week had gone by quicker than I expected, and I was nervous. True, I was only just starting my career as a ninja, the lowest of the low, a Gennin, but I was curious as to what that title really meant. I had high expectations. I also had a goal - having recently seen that it was possible to go past morals and laws, I wanted to see how much further I could push them. And I had a target in mind which I planned to aim for – ANBU. Or, more importantly, Uchiha Itachi. That man had advanced amongst the ranks faster than anyone could imagine, and I wanted to beat him. That was my goal.

I made my way into the Academy according to the instructions given by the Hokage, stopping once or twice to check if I was going the right way. My headband hung loosely around my neck, and the metal glinted in the sunshine. Finally, I found the right door. I took a deep breath and walked in.

Immediately, heads turned to see who had walked in and I saw some glare at me while others had a curious expression on their faces. Some of the girls gushed at my apparent '_cuteness'_ and I barely held in a wince at their impossibly high voices.

A boy to my left with longish brown hair tied into a ponytail – which immediately reminded me of my dear Neji-chan – noticed my annoyance and chuckled. "Are you lost?" he asked kindly, apparently not noticing the hitai-ate tied around my neck. However, before I could tell him so, somebody else interrupted.

"Well, obviously she's lost, Kaoru! Seriously, what else would a brat like her be doing in our class?" a redhead sitting a few benches further said rather rudely. But the brunette – Kaoru – ignored the comment and turned to me for an answer. Wordlessly, I pointed at my headband and saw his eyes widen a fraction, going back and forth between my headband and my face, before he nodded mutely and returned to whatever it was he was reading before I came.

I took a leaf out of his book and also ignored the redhead when I walked past him and found a seat in the front row, far away from said redhead's glare and the squealing girls.

It took a few minutes until the teacher appeared, and I had to resist the urge to rub my eyes in disbelief when I saw how young he was. He had brown hair in a ponytail and a scar running across his nose. He couldn't be more than ten years older than me.

"Right! Well done to all of you who graduated, you're officially Gennin! I'll read out your teams together with the place you'll meet your sensei at. Good luck!"

A buzz of excitement followed his words and I listened intently to what he said. I was getting disheartened when I realised there were only a few people left, until the sensei said;

"All right; Team 13: Kaoru Yuhi, Sakura Haruno and Akane Satoshi! Meet your sensei at Training Ground 13 at noon."

I looked around and was pleased to see that I was on a team with the kind brunette from before, but the smile disappeared when I realised that the annoying redhead was going to be on my team as well. In the few seconds it took me to process that, Kaoru had already walked up to me, followed by the reluctant redhead.

"Shall we go?" he asked. I nodded mutely and led the way out. It was a long way to Training Ground 13 as it was on the very outskirts of the Village. Few ninja ever ventured there.

I could feel the redhead literally glaring a metaphorical black hole in my back. I tried to ignore him, but after a few minutes it became too much; with an annoyed sigh, I turned to face him.

"Would you mind telling me what the hell is your problem?" I demanded. I saw him mutter something which sounded like '_wow, it can speak'_, but decided to ignore it for the time being. "Well?"

It seemed as if the redhead was going to continue glaring, before he suddenly exploded: "You wanna know what my problem is? **You** are! You're like, what, six, seven maybe? Why did they even make you a gennin? And how on earth are we supposed to fight if we'll have to keep a constant eye on you? I'll be a babysitter, not a ninja!" Akane raged as he realised I had fallen silent. I was too shocked to do anything but watch as he yelled at me.

But he'd taken my silence as agreement and smirked arrogantly. "And like the useless little girl you are, you're not even going to deny it."

The shock quickly morphed into anger and before he knew what had happened, I slammed Akane against a nearby tree, my hand tightening round his throat. I was over a foot shorter than him and he could technically overpower me if he tried, but he seemed to have forgotten about that fact. I leaned up on my tip-toes to be level with his face.

"You want to know why I became a gennin? Because I came this close," I held out my hand for further emphasis, pointer finger and thumb so close they were almost touching, before I continued. "_this_ close to killing one of the girls in my class. And I would've, had they not stopped me." I whispered.

I saw him pale slightly and backed down, satisfied with his reaction. He stopped glaring and the rest of the way to the Training Grounds went by in silence.

When we arrived at the designated place, I quickly realised our sensei was already waiting for us. At first glance, he looked good; short, spiky black hair, dark blue eyes, standard jounin uniform and pretty big chakra reserves.

Then he spoke, "Right. We won't have any of the typical sit-down-and-introduce-yourselves crap. There's a high chance you won't even stay a team after this, so why bother getting familiar? Let's just get to the test." He demanded.

_How… blunt._

"What's the test, uh… what's your name?" the annoying redhead asked. I was ready to stuff a kunai down his throat, simply to get him to shut up…

"The name's Izaya, but for you brats, until you somehow _magically_ manage to outrank me, it's Izaya-_sensei_, understood?" without waiting for an answer, he continued. "All right, there's no time limit – you simply attack me until you run out of chakra, or ideas. When I'm down and incapacitated, or tied down, then, and _**only**_ then you've won and passed. Get it? Good. Go!" I saw him smirk and release a wave of chakra.

Suddenly I realised it wouldn't be as easy as it seemed – I didn't know my teammates, and frankly, even if I did I highly doubted I would work with them. But I had no more time to ponder as suddenly the ground shook and I was almost blasted off my feet.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, _I'll be fighting back_!"

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed and see ya next chapter!**

**Please REVIEW!**

**~Invincible**


	6. Test

**Thank You for all of the amazing reviews! They really made my day, and made this chapter possible! Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy!**

**As always, being the forgetful person that I am, I forgot to mention that there is a link on my profile to a fanart I made a few weeks ago. It's no work of art, but it should get the point across. **

**Here's the link, though I'm not sure if it'll work.**

** art/Sakura-from-one-small-change-Chapter-3-339457389**

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After sensei's announcement, it didn't take a genius to figure out that this '_test'_ would be no piece of cake – even an unresponsive jounin was a high challenge for fresh-out-of-the-Academy gennin. But a fully-fledged, prepared-to-hit-you-back jounin seemed like a nightmare.

This was proven when I saw Akane immediately rush at Izaya-sensei, kunai drawn and flying – the boy obviously attacked without any plan whatsoever, and I fought back a wince when he was easily sent flying a good twenty metres across the field before he crashed into a tree. I saw Kaoru pale a little and flinch when his teammate fell limp to the ground.

I relaxed slightly when I saw the redhead move, and his hand flew to his head as he released a groan. I was surprised when I saw a soft green glow envelop his hand, and, as he moved his hand closer, the cut on his forehead healed.

_A medical ninja…?_

I was startled when, for the second time in the last few days, a kunai came whizzing at my face, and once again I managed to deflect it with only seconds to spare.

"You won't be able to space out when I'm your opponent, little girl!" Izaya-sensei called, but before he could run at me, Kaoru had jumped in his way. I was curious about what the quiet boy had to show, and I was stunned when I saw sensei's pupils dilate; that was my chance! Kaoru had caught him in a genjutsu! If he's unable to defend himself, now is the perfect time for me to paralyse him!

I ran towards the duo, but in my excitement I hadn't noticed that Akane had gotten up and was rapidly making hand-signs. My wake-up call came with a waterfall of ice-called water which fell on Kaoru and Izaya-sensei, effectively snapping me out of my daze, but unfortunately, also kicking sensei out of the genjutsu.

"You idiot!" I shrieked at him. "We almost had him!" outrage was currently overwhelming common sense, as in any other case I would've thought twice about saying something so… un-me.

But Akane didn't seem too bothered by it and had no problems with retaliating. "Well, it didn't seem like it! And if you 'almost had him', then go and get him!" he raged.

"I would've, had you not snapped him out of the genjutsu with your idiotic water jutsu!" I yelled back. I needed to control myself, but the annoying redhead seemed to bring out the worst in me, and I'd only known him for a day.

"The justu wasn't idiotic! That was **The Exploding Water Colliding Wave**! It's a B-Rank jutsu, no doubt higher than anything _you_'ll ever be able to do!" he exclaimed.

I was seething. But a moment later I felt the ground disappear from under me as I was swept off my feet and shared Akane's fate of smashing into a tree. I winced. Not a pleasant experience.

"And that was the **Violent Whirlwind**, an A-Rank technique, unique to Konoha ninja, mainly jounin." I heard the sarcastic voice of our sensei above me.

"Ugh, that's twice in one day, sensei." I heard a groan beside me. "Please don't make this a hobby, or I'll- _oh_." It seemed Akane had only just realised our situation; we were both facing the point-blank of a kunai. A single flick of his wrist is all it'd take and we'd be dead.

I noticed sensei had his other arm wrapped tightly around Kaoru, a kunai pressed to his throat. I met the brunette's apologetic gaze and tried to offer a smile. It came out more like a grimace.

"Were this a mission," sensei began calmly, which completely contradicted his intimidating appearance, "You'd have all been dead. Akane – you don't attack without a plan, or rush into a battlefield while you have no clue what's going on." I felt a smug smirk tugging on the corners of my mouth before Izaya-sensei continued. "Sakura – although your idea was good, you cannot spend every battle biding your time on the side-lines and waiting for the opportune moment to step in and save the day. Kaoru – you seemed to have had the best idea of how to handle this battle, and I admit your genjutsu threw me off considerably, but you cannot just stand there while your teammates argue! Step in, slap them around the face, threaten, whatever! Just do _something_!"

I hung my head as I took in his critique. "Akane, Sakura; you need to understand this: _you can't start arguing in the middle of a bloody battlefield! You think your opponents will just stand there and let you get it out of your system before attacking!? Use your brains!_"

I openly flinched.

"It's not my fault - the brat/idiot started it…" Akane and I grumbled at the same time. I sent him a glare just as his head snapped up to sneer at me.

"Akane-san, Sakura-san," the quiet voice of my brown-haired teammate brought me back to earth. "Could you please stop arguing like a married couple and help? This is not the most comfortable position." He said, while pointing to the kunai still pressed to his neck.

Realising my mistake, I quickly swiped at the kunai which was still pointing at me, the force of the blow dislodging it from sensei's hold, then jumped to my feet and pulled out my own kunai, thrusting it out, fully intent on stabbing sensei in the stomach. At the last moment, he let go of Kaoru and deflected the strike, but unbeknownst to him, that was what I had been waiting for and I pushed the brunette away before dodging a punch directed at me from Izaya-sensei.

Once a safe distance away, Kaoru brushed the invisible dust off of his shoulders and sent me a small smile. "Thanks." He said.

Izaya-sensei watched the interaction with a mysterious glint in his eyes. "I've changed my mind." He announced suddenly.

Immediately, all three of us directed our attention at him.

"You three shall stay a team, you'd proved to be interesting, and you have some potential, so, naturally, I want to keep you. However, if you can't manage to defeat me by the end of the day, I'll make sure that for the first year of your career you shall not even as much as _glance_ at anything above a D-Rank. Painting, shopping, babysitting; just what you need to get that irritating spite out of you, don't you agree?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with sadistic humour.

"Sensei…" Akane almost whimpered. "That's just cruel."

Izaya-sensei smirked. "That's true. Well, you better get to work then, ne?"

I sighed and started to rise, but he motioned for me to sit back down. "I hadn't finished yet. I decided it was a little unfair of me to just tell you to work together after you've only been a team for ten minutes. So, we're – unfortunately – going to do the _booooring_ introduction thing. Name, likes, dislikes, dreams, and most importantly, _abilities_, so you don't end up accidently killing each other, get it?"

"Yes, sensei." We chorused.

"Alright. Carrot-boy, go first." I snorted at the ridiculous nickname. _Carrot-boy_. His hair was _red_, not orange! But it **did** annoy him… Hm, I decided I liked it.

"My name is Akane Satoshi, _**not**_ Carrot-boy." He said pointedly, glaring at Izaya-sensei in the process. "I like training and barbeque, I don't like annoying little brats with pink hair. I'm a ninjutsu user, and a med-nin in training. My dream is to at some point become the Head of the Hospital." He finished with a smile.

"Nice. Short, to-the-point, highly possible. Right, Kaoru-chan, your turn." Sensei announced, smiling mischievously.

"Kaoru Yuhi. Genjutsu type. I like reading, and onigri. I _hate_ noise and conflict. I want to have a steady career, reach jounin, marry, have a kid, retire. And perhaps master the art of kenjutsu if I can find a worthy teacher." Although vague and monotone, I liked his introduction – it fitted him; slow, quiet, plain.

"OK. Not bad, old-man. Pinky, show him how it's done." He joked. I glared at him.

"My name is Sakura Haruno. I like dango, and training. I dislike thunderstorms and stupidity. I also don't like people who underestimate me due to my appearance. My dream is to reach ANBU in the next five years. Oh, and I'm mainly a taijutsu type, though I also know a little ninjutsu." I kept my abilities basic. Dad had once told me that the more you spill the less you are. I agreed wholeheartedly.

"That's a little ambitious, don't you think?" sensei asked, but this time I didn't detect even a hint of teasing in his voice. "But if that's what you want, then good luck." I nodded, accepting his commentary for the time being.

"I'll let you go over what you need to improve on. try to come up with a decent strategy this time, alright? I don't think Hokage-sama will appreciate it if I knock down any more trees." He said as he walked off, giving us the space we needed to discuss.

"Firstly, stop getting in the way brat, and let Kaoru and me handle him." The redhead spoke up. "We have no clue what you can do, so it's better to not make you do anything at all, since you'd only distract us."

"On the contrary, Akane, I think we should let Sakura-san have a go at fighting sensei." Kaoru defended. "Like you said, we don't know what she can do, and for all we know she might be able to distract him enough so we can then incapacitate him." His voice was quiet as he spoke, yet there was a sense of finality to his words. I sent his a small, but grateful smile. I had just about enough of Akane's unfounded hatred.

Akane also seemed to notice that it wasn't a request. "Fine. But if we get D-Ranks for the rest of the year, you'll be to blame, Kaoru-_chan_." The redhead spat out.

"Right, since it seems you're done, and we've finished our little heart-to-heart, how about we get to work? Or, more precisely, you get to work?" Izaya-sensei announced.

I almost jumped when I heard his voice, so close to us. I hadn't notice him getting closer, and suddenly there he was.

Apparently, Akane didn't realise we were going to attack him **today**. "But senseiiiii…!" he whined when he realised what Izaya-sensei meant. "We'd just fought you for, like, an hour! Give us a break!"

"OK. Say hello to a year of D-Ranks then, Akane-chan. That'll be rest enough, right?" he teased. The reaction was immediate – Akane jumped to his feet, accidently pulling Kaoru up as well, but since the brunette wasn't expecting the quick movement he quickly lost his footing and fell on Akane, causing both of them to end up sprawled on the ground.

While they were rolling about and spitting grass out of their mouths, I stood up and turned to face sensei. I let out a small smirk. Now it was my turn, screw whatever the redhead thought.

"Thinking of going one-on one, Sakura-chan?" sensei asked. "Brave. Well, let's see how you do."

* * *

I decided to start slow using a mixture of the taijutsu I learned and Academy style, because I needed to see how proficient sensei was at close-combat. I had a rough idea, but I needed proof.

When he managed to block all of my attacks – which weren't aimed to hurt, since this was like a reconnaissance mission – I upped the speed, and the complexity of the attacks. Now I could see him struggling slightly, almost unnoticeably, to predict my moves. My theory was therefore proven.

He easily got rid of Akane when the redhead first attacked because he was coming straight at him, at medium speed. What I was currently doing was twice as fast, and I was still not finished. I had spent the last four years training my speed. Now it was time to use it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Akane and Kaoru were back on their feet, watching me.

I grinned.

_It's show time!_

* * *

_This isn't good_. Was Izaya's first thought.

He was not all too confident in his taijutsu, but he thought it was good enough to provide a steady defence against Rookies. He was seriously reconsidering that assumption.

The little pinkette, Sakura, was the reason. When he first saw his team, he had a feeling they would prove to be interesting. They all seemed to have something which separated them from the crowd; Kaoru's silence, Akane's brashness, or Sakura's pink hair. And only that. But that was a first-impression conclusion.

Now he also knew something else; they were all top. Perhaps he was beginning to see the Hokage's thoughts about his team – the old man wanted him to 'lead them onto the right path'. And in this case, the right path was the elite. He knew each of them was capable of it, even after only knowing the brats for a few hours.

Kaoru's genjutsu was so intricately layered he had to admit he barely knew what he should start with – the layers merged into each other, and made him feel like one wrong move and he'll lose. He had to admit, were it not for Akane's jutsu, he'd have had real problems getting out of that one.

Having mentioned the water jutsu, it was a B-Rank. Something which _**definitely**_ wasn't taught in the Academy.

And then there was Sakura. The rosette had not shown anything exceptional apart from general awareness of where she should be, and her argument with Akane caused him to slightly doubt her strength, but now he was starting to seriously worry.

She began with an array of Academy attacks, mixed in with something which prickled in his mind that he should recognise, but he dismissed it, focusing on blocking the girl's attacks and trying to appear as unaffected as possible.

Then, she stepped up the speed, and he grew more and more uneasy; the Academy style disappeared, and the unidentified style was left, and combined with the fact that he didn't know what she could do, he was starting to fumble.

Suddenly, she disappeared, and it was only by the small burst of chakra behind him that he managed to turn around just in time to block a particularly nasty drop-kick. However, before he could recover, she vanished once again, but this time, there was no chakra spike, and as a result he earned a hard kick in the ribs. It went on for a few more seconds with Sakura near-invisible, the only confirmation she was even there being the frequent kicks and punches he couldn't block, before she finally reappeared in front of him, and delivered a strong, chakra-enhanced kick to his abdomen, which sent him flying back.

"Akane, _**now**_!"

* * *

"Akane, _**now**_!" I screamed at the redhead once my kick had connected.

The redhead, as if reading my mind, repeated the hand-signs I saw him use before, but this time there were a couple of additional ones which I couldn't fully identify due to the speed they were performed at.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!**" he called out, and I watched, mystified, as an enormous water dragon appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and headed towards sensei, before it fell on him, engulfing him in its' mouth, creating a lake-sized puddle. I saw Akane bite his lip seconds before the dragon attacked, straining to control the massive body of water. A small feeling of respect for the redhead formed, but I squashed it down.

I saw sensei rise to his feet, his legs shaking slightly, and I realised the blow must've hurt quite a lot in order to create that sort of response.

I turned to face Kaoru, and he nodded wordlessly, also seeming to be able to read my mind.  
He made some hand-signs and I felt a surge of chakra and saw sensei stiffen.

Akane noticed the movement and asked, "Have you got him?"

"Yeah," Kaoru bit out, his voice strained. "But we better end this soon, he's fighting my genjutsu."

The three of us walked the distance which separated us from Izaya-sensei and stood before his stiff form.

"To think a simple genjutsu is enough to stop a jounin…" Akane mused, his voice unusually quiet.

"I wouldn't be so simple about simple." Kaoru gritted out, before his eyes widened. "Shit, he broke the-!"

The warning was unnecessary, as it was hard to have missed sensei's eyes snapping open, and his body disappearing from where he stood. A burst of chakra I'd began to associate with Shunshin followed, and it was a split-second reaction as I sensed where the chakra had moved to that made me turn around and unleash my Killing Intent straight at Izaya-sensei now stood.

He stilled immediately, but so did Akane and Kaoru, since it was probably their first exposure to something so feral. Dad had told me that my KI reminded him of a cat; slow and graceful most of the time, but vicious when angered. Unfortunately, he didn't tell me what it felt like to have it directed at him.

Realising it was all in my hands, as my teammates were unable to move, I jumped to where sensei was standing and pulled out my kunai. I had to really stretch and get on my tip-toes to be able to reach his neck, but I pressed the knife firmly to his neck, and then proceeded to calm my Killing Intent.

I saw Akane and Kaoru snap out of it seconds before sensei had, probably because it wasn't directed at them and all they got was shockwaves, but I mentally congratulated them nevertheless.  
Once sensei's eyes had settled on me, I pressed the kunai closer to his neck. "Don't move." I whispered.

My teammates moved to my sides, taking out their own kunai. "Is that incapacitated enough for you, eh, sensei?" Akane teased, the mischievous glint returning to his green eyes.

Sensei's eyes surveyed the three of us, taking in our victorious grins and tired faces. "Yes." He raised his hand in mock forfeit. "I give!"

"Oh yeah!" Akane cheered while jumping around and hooting in joy. "Beat that, crappy D-Ranks!" he cheered.

"Oi, carrot-boy, watch your language!" Izaya-sensei reprimanded teasingly. Akane pouted, but surprisingly didn't retaliate. "So, I guess this demands lunch." He said, arching his eyebrow.

"I call for barbeque!" Akane hollered. Sensei turned to me and Kaoru.

"Barbeque's fine." Kaoru replied, the small smile still on his face.

"Sure. As long as they serve dango." I confirmed.

Sensei laughed. "Let's go. It's on me."

I smiled.

Regardless of how insanely crazy, annoying, or loud my teammates could be, or how unsettling my sensei's mood swings were, they were my team. And they will _stay_ my team.

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**Thanks for reading! I hope you can review! Oh, and I got my first flame four days ago... Let's just say I enjoyed my marshmallows ^_^**

**REVIEW!**

**And see you next chapter!**


	7. Princess

**Hey guys! Thank you for all of the amazing reviews! Oh, there are two links on my profile to some fan art I made, it would be nice if you could check it out and tell me what you think. Kurohime1024 – thank you for your review – here's your Neji-chan, since he's just too awesome to be left out.**

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Once at the restaurant, after we'd ordered and our food was delivered, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Akane wasn't as purposely nasty to me as before – although the air of reserved hostility was still there, as was the mutual dislike we held towards each other, but somehow, we were acting… almost civil.

Kaoru was sort of there, but not there at the same time. He would grin or chuckle occasionally, say a few words, then go back to observing what was going on, quietly chewing on his steak. Akane, when he wasn't devouring his BBQ ribs, was milking sensei for any and all stories the jounin was generous enough to provide about his career and what comes with being one of the elite. I could see the excited glint go through the redhead's eyes, and I could bet that in his mind _he_ was the one chasing down all the missing-nins, or escorting the princesses. He seemed to have a very good imagination. Or that could've just been sensei's amazing story-telling.

When everyone was done – Akane having finished his, _**and**_ Kaoru's meal, since the brunette proclaimed he'd had enough about half way through – and I was done with my dango, having left a generous tip for whoever made it; we left the restaurant.

The main street of Konoha was very busy and bustling with life, since it was just an hour or two past midday and all the shopkeepers were trying to prepare for the upcoming Kyuubi Festival. Izaya-sensei had to put a hand on Akane's shoulder to restrain him from running from stall to stall and going crazy over all of the masks and costumes. To be perfectly honest, I never quite understood the Festival – we were celebrating the attack of a monster and death of one of the most powerful shinobi Konoha had ever seen; what was there to be happy about?

About half-way through our walk Kaoru requested if we could stop by one of the stalls since his mother's birthday was in a few days and he wanted to buy something for her. Curious, I followed after him and stood by his side as he gazed at the necklaces and bracelets on display.

"Which one do you think she'll like?" he asked me quietly and I almost jumped at the fact that he'd actually spoken directly to me. I looked at the jewellery again and wordlessly pointed at a delicate silver bracelet with small ruby stones and a kanji for 'Family' hanging from the main chain.

Kaoru smiled and asked the shopkeeper for it. After paying, we walked back to where sensei and Akane stood, and I stifled a grin at the redhead's pouty face. Seems like he was naturally curious of everything.

We resumed our walk, until I felt sensei stiffen slightly behind me and heard Akane let out a small groan at the increased pressure on his shoulder as sensei's grip tightened. I followed his gaze and saw Hyuuga Hiashi and his daughter walking down the street, accompanied by… _Neji?_

Only then did I make the connection that _yes_, Neji was, in fact, still in the Academy, and _yes_, his father was Lord Hiashi's brother, which therefore makes him the man's nephew. Suddenly Neji's dislike for the Main Clan and its' Head made much more sense.

It seemed Neji had also noticed me as he met my gaze, and I could see a small smirk form on his face and his eyes narrowed in return, probably trying to think of an insult-greeting, before he was reminded of who he was with by a restraining hand on his shoulder and his face was once again a mask of indifference.

Suddenly, I grew angry as I realised how much the Hyuuga Clan Head seemed to control my Neji-chan, regardless of how much Neji claimed he hated the man. With no one to restrain me, I sped up my walk and stopped directly in front of Neji and his uncle. I bowed deeply. "Pleased to finally meet you, Hiashi-sama." I said in forced politeness, before I straightened, ignoring the man's curious gaze (or at least I thought it was curious, I couldn't really tell with his blank eyes and equally blank expression) and turned to Neji. "It's great to see you after so long, Neji-kun. We haven't sparred in a while."

Around that time my teammates and sensei had caught up, and unlike Kaoru, who automatically swooped down into a respectful bow, Akane stood still, gaping at the Hyuuga's eyes, before sensei pushed him into a bow.

"Hyuuga-sama." Sensei acknowledged.

"Izaya-san." The Clan Head replied, his voice icy. "I see you finally have a team to call your own."

I back-pedalled at the hostility in the man's voice, and I could see Akane trying to say something, but the redhead was stopped by Kaoru who, with perfect timing, clamped his hand over the Akane's mouth.

"I do. This is Kaoru Yuhi, Akane Satoshi and Haruno Sakura. They are my little ducklings, Hyuuga-sama. And you should know that I don't share." In that instant I knew my sensei will prove to be one of the most awesome people I could've ever met.

Seeming to ignore sensei's comment, Hyuuga Hiashi's eyes turned to me. "I was under the impression you're familiar with my nephew. Is that true?"

I nodded, trying to fix my expression into that of polite detachment, and replied. "Yes. Neji and I are friends. We spar occasionally and I trust him completely." I tried the word '_friend'_ on the stiff Hyuuga and was delighted to see him scowl. Neji noticed what I was doing and smirked lightly. Then his eyes fell on the headband still tied loosely around my neck. His eyes widened and he spoke for the first time that day.

"Hiashi-sama, could you excuse us for a moment?" he asked, his attention not straying from my headband.

"You're excused." Hiashi's curt tone rang through the air. Not wasting a second, Neji grabbed my arm and dragged me away, leaving my stupefied teammates and affronted sensei behind. I winced at his tight grip on my arm, but Neji didn't loosen it or let go until we were safely hidden behind one of the stalls, away from his uncle's prying gaze and my suspicious sensei.

"Would you like to explain this?" he hissed at me, glaring at the headband around my neck.

I knew that Neji and I weren't on the best of terms, but I was still slightly hurt by the lack of any sort of congratulations. "I graduated, if that's what you're asking about. Thanks for the congratulations, by the way." I replied harshly.

Neji blinked owlishly, before he shook his head, smiling apologetically as he realised what I was getting at. "You're right. I'm… I'm sorry. Well done, it's just- I just thought-" he sighed. "I just wanted _something_ to go according to plan. But as it is, I was outdone by you, of all people," he smirked, though I could see it was forced. "The _flea_. You can see how that makes me feel."

"That's OK, Neji-chan. You just have to try harder and prove to me that you're better when we spar." I grinned as I teased him about his insecurities. Many would find this mean, but that's just how Neji and I worked. We hated, we loved, and we were both misunderstood by the people around us. One second we would be at each other's throats, and the next one of us would apologise and we would move on.

"You can count on it, flea. No way am I going to ever let you outdo me ever again. I've got my pride." He smirked at me, the cocky glint returning to his eyes.

"Oh yes, you Hyuugas are all prideful little bastards." I grinned, causing his smirk to widen.

"Come on, we should go. My uncle may just barge in here any second. We'd kept him waiting long enough." I nodded, eager to return to my team and get rid of the nagging feeling that we were being watched.

As we walked out, I noticed that my team was in the same place I left them, and Izaya-sensei was engaged in a glaring contest with the Hyuuga, while Akane was trying to get the heiress to speak. Kaoru just stood at the side, eyes flickering between his sensei and teammate, disbelief evident on his features.

I sighed as his eyes met mine.

_It seems we have __**two**__ people with the maturity of a three-year old. And I thought one was too much. _

* * *

"Why do we have to _do this_!?" Akane exploded. "I thought you said we didn't have to do stupid D-Ranks! I wanna get to the real stuff, like rescuing princesses or kicking the bad guy's butts! Not _painting_!"

I barely managed to resist the urge to face-palm, but Kaoru didn't have the same restrains. Sensei just sighed for the billionth time, equally frustrated with the redhead.

"Akane-teme," I ground out through gritted teeth. "Every. Ninja. _Has_. To. Do. D-Ranks! When we passed, we just saved ourselves from having to do _more_ than the standard amount."

"Then what was the point of even passing? I swear you're taking sick satisfaction from seeing us do something like this!" the redhead accused Izaya-sensei, who was leaning against the part of the fence we'd already painted, but also looked almost ready to snap. Akane ostentatiously finished the last fence plank on his side. "I mean, come on, sensei, we'd finished! Save us from this hell, this is the fifteenth D-Rank we'd done this week! I'm practically dying of _boredom_! Can we please have a C-Rank? Something even _slightly_ more interesting than watching paint dry! _Please_?"

"Ugh, fine!" Izaya-sensei relented. "I'll go to the Hokage, see what he has! Just _please_, shut up already, carrot-boy! You're driving us crazy!"

"Whoo-hoo! Sensei, you're awesome!" Akane cheered as he jumped around the place, spilling paint everywhere.

"Hey, relax! Meet me at the Hokage Tower at 10:00 tomorrow. All of you." He said and winked at Kaoru and I when we raised identical disbelieving eyebrows at him. "Don't look at me like that! It was the only way to get him to shut up."

I smirked while Kaoru chuckled. Sensei was definitely just as crazy and childish as Akane. Only slightly taller.

* * *

As I packed, I couldn't help the adrenaline pulsing through my veins. I was excited – hell yeah I was excited! First time ever I could see something outside of Konoha!

The next day, when I arrived at the Hokage Tower I saw that Kaoru was already there, his own duffel bag packed and a jumper thrown over his usually bare shoulders. I smiled at him and his lips twitched slightly upwards in reply. I decided I liked Kaoru, simply for the calm aura which always seemed to radiate off of him and his quiet, reserved personality.

Minutes later, the door to the Hokage's office burst open and Izaya-sensei, surprisingly followed by Akane himself walked out, the redhead grinning from ear to ear.

"We've got a princess!"

* * *

**Here you are!**

**An early Christmas present for all of you out there supporting this story **

**Love you all!~ **

**REVIEW please! Sorry it's so short.**


	8. The Mission

**Thank you for all of the amazing reviews, I hope you all had a great Christmas (if you celebrate) and if not, then that you're at least enjoying your break ;) **

**Now, onto the story!**

* * *

It turned out the supposed 'princess' was already waiting for us at the main gates, standing by the door of her carriage, and, as we drew closer I noticed that she was surrounded by four tall, muscular men whom I simply presumed were her guards. The curious thing was that none of them _seemed_ to be a ninja.

Once we were next to them, sensei made an effort to formally bow – Kaoru and I followed almost immediately – and proceeded to pledge our loyalty to the princess and offer our 'humble' services as her escorts. It turned out the princess was from the Grass Village, and had come to Konoha to renew the allied status of Konoha and Kumo, and secure the protection said alliance provided for her people. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Akane wince slightly when the princess said Grass. It would take over a day to get there at ninja speed, but considering the fact that the Princess was a civilian and most probably would be opposed to the idea of a piggy-back, we'd be travelling at civilian speed, which meant that the journey would take at least a week, and considering Akane's hyper personality, that would kill him.

The Princess herself didn't seem too bad, I supposed. She must've been older than us, probably about sixteen, but with her child-like face and big, seemingly innocent eyes she could pass as a twelve-year-old quite easily. She had sleek black hair that went down to her waist and wore an expensive green silk kimono. To be honest, she looked quite average for a princess, but I noticed that Akane was already staring at her like she was a goddess. Kaoru must've noticed that too as I heard him sigh dejectedly from beside me.

Noticing the silence which settled around us, sensei stepped in. "Are you ready to move, Hime-chan?"

The Princess, whose name was still a mystery, giggled and nodded, and settled in her carriage. So, without further ado, we set off.

* * *

It had not even been three days, and I was already that close to shoving a kunai down that girl's throat. The 'innocent' appearance was about as true as the statement that Akane was a calm and respectful boy. Not only that, she had reduced him to a love-struck fool, and then proceeded to ignore him which made the redhead gloomy and depressed for most of our journey.

Everything started the moment we were a fair distance out of the Village. The princess had crawled out of her carriage, migrated to Kaoru's side and started pestering the brunette with meaningless questions. Kaoru, being the quiet boy he is, gave her monosyllabic, yet at the same time polite answers, and I could almost see the frustration radiating of him due to being forced to speak multiple times in a minute. I had hoped that the girl would grow bored with such short, vague answers, but she seemed delighted and it only increased her determination to 'get to know' Kaoru more. When we stopped at a small village to rest the night, the princess got up on her tip-toes and kissed the brunette on the cheek, before she bounced away followed by her guards.

Kaoru's hand flew to his cheek and his eyes widened in shock. I laughed at his flustered, blushing face, shortly followed by Akane and Izaya-sensei.

"Aww," Akane cooed mockingly. "Kaoru-chan is blushing! So cute~!" he teased.

The brunette sent him a murderous glare. "Not a word, Akane. _Not_. _A_. _Word_. Or I'll make sure you regret it." He hissed.

For some reason, the threatening aura which surrounded him just made me laugh harder, and made Akane look at me like I'd gone mad as he cowered under Kaoru's scathing glare. While he was apologising profusely for upsetting Kaoru, who I now suspected was much, much scarier than I'd originally presumed, I was wiping away at the tears which had gathered in my eyes from laughing so much. Kaoru was _definitely_ less emotionally-handicapped than I'd believed if he was capable of being so threatening yet hilarious at the same time. I was tempted to even thank the princess for uncovering that side of him.

* * *

Unfortunately, as it was, my desire to thank the girl and apologise for ignoring her previously disappeared the moment we got back on the road. The princess had apparently deemed that she knew Kaoru well enough now as a friend, so she quickly moved onto flirting with him. A permanent blush seemed to have settled on Kaoru's cheeks, and he was even more flustered than the night before. I grit my teeth and try to ignore it, even when the girl went further and wrapped her arms around Kaoru's neck and proceeded to hang on it like a monkey. I glanced at Izaya-sensei and noticed he was staring at me with a knowing look in his eyes. I frowned. Sensei's smirk widened as he mouthed.

"_Remember, Sakura-chan, she's still the client. Don't get too jealous."_

I gaped at him in indignation. _Jealous_!? I wasn't jealous, I was _annoyed_! I thought a princess would have enough dignity and courtesy to not behave like a hormonal teenage girl. Guess I thought wrong, fine, but why did she have to choose _Kaoru_ as her victim?

I was balancing intense anger with the knowledge that regardless how tempting it was, I couldn't just storm up to her and obliterate her brains because _she was the client_. However, that balance tipped when the girl leaned her face closer to Kaoru's and puckered her lips. Driven by some unknown, but still impossibly strong emotion, I used the speed I'd so meticulously trained for and flashed to Kaoru's side. Before anyone even noticed, I pushed the girl away and grabbed Kaoru's wrist, then dragged him to the front so we could walk side by side.

The brunette seemed slightly shaken due to being tugged around in a split second, but when he calmed down he sent me a small, albeit grateful smile which made having to listen to Akane's sniggering in the background worth it.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan." He murmured after he made sure no one was listening. "She was quite annoying."

I smirked. "Any time, Kaoru. As long as you get Akane off my back, I'll help you with the girls which are bound to harass you."

* * *

We arrived at a small village inn and stopped for the night since the guards had demanded a break because the princess was apparently 'tired of the constant travelling'. Immediately, I realised the inn wasn't a high-standard one, so we'd probably end up having to share a room.

It turned out I was right, but as we stepped into the room I decided it wasn't so bad, as long as I got the bed by the window which was in the very corner of the room, far away from the others. Unfortunately, sensei seemed to have the same idea as I could see him heading in the direction of the bed. Not to be beaten, I once again used my speed to flash in front of him and jump on the bed, seconds before he reached it. Izaya-sensei's eyes widened a fraction, before he mock-pouted.

"Aw, that's mean, Sakura-chan. Are you really going to make me sleep next to carrot-boy and the rock wall? They'll drive me crazy!" he whined, and once again the thought of _is he really a jounin? _crossed my mind. Honestly, sometimes sensei was like a little kid who didn't get his candy.

But I had no pity. "Hai. Deal with it, sensei." I deadpanned.

The pout stayed on his lips, and out of the corner of my eyes I noticed Akane fighting to keep down his laughter, but, yet again, Kaoru had no such repercussions and was shamelessly chuckling at our childish sensei. I tried to remember what my Academy sensei had described a 'normal' gennin team; _calm, responsible, mature and looking out for each other. _I stifled a snort.

Well, it was already quite obvious we weren't exactly a 'normal' team.

* * *

Once we had all showered and changed into some more comfortable clothes, we settled into our beds, yet with no intent to go to sleep. I simply wasn't feeling tired enough to sleep; the mission was more like a holiday to me and the constant walking allowed me to relax my tense muscles.

Akane, being the hyperactive _thing_ he was, was bouncing on his bed, his bangs flying everywhere and a silly grin on his face, while Kaoru followed my example and lay on his bed with a reading book on his lap. Sensei just watched with an amused glint in his eyes.

"So, pinky, I never knew you had a jealous streak." Akane hummed.

Sick of hearing the same accusation the second time in one day, my relaxed state evaporated and I exploded; "I'm _**not**_ jealous! Where did you get that idea from anyway, baka?" I almost shrieked.

"Well, you jumped Yukio-hime when she wanted to kiss Kaoru-chan… that must mean _something_, right?" his eyes glinted mischievously.

"I just thought that as a _Princess_," I stressed that word out, "she'd have the courtesy to be slightly more professional." I huffed.

"Uh-huh…" Akane mocked. "Because _that's_ believable."

I glared. "Shut up, Carrot-boy." I hissed murderously.

"Hm, whatever you may say, I still think there was more to it than just _courtesy_. It looked more like you wanted to be in her place, especially when she nearly-"

"Shut up, Akane!" Kaoru and I shouted in unison at the infuriating redhead.

When it looked like Akane was once again going to ignore our warning, sensei got up. "That's enough, Little Red. Though I'm glad my little ducklings are getting along so well," even the power of three deathly glares was not enough to stop him from chuckling. "I'm afraid I need to stop you before it spirals out into a Shinobi War. Also, I need to tell you something, a little something for you to consider. Akane, never, under any circumstances, fall for the client before the mission is completed. If afterwards you ask her, and she will want to keep in touch with you, that's fine, just make sure the mission is over before you do. Sakura, I told you, _you can't just suddenly jump the client! You could've hurt her! _And Kaoru, next time, don't run away when a pretty girl is obviously interested in you! Be happy, damn it!" sensei commanded.

Kaoru pouted slightly. "But she wasn't even that pretty…" he whined, and I wondered what caused him to be so out of character.

Unfortunately, Akane heard him, and the redhead proceeded to jump on the reclining brunette and shake him by the shoulders. "Are you blind? Gay? Both? Or just plain stupid?" he shouted, each accompanied with a rough shake.

"No! None of those!" Kaoru yelled back, successfully pushing the smaller boy off of him. "I just have standards, unlike you!"

Suddenly, Akane went quiet. "Oh, you did not just go there!" he shrieked, and, before the brunette could react he jumped on him, pinning his arms above his head and attacked his sides by… tickling?

Izaya-sensei burst out laughing at the ridiculous duo, and I could not help the small, genuine smile which blossomed on my lips at the sight. It was surprising, yet cute at the same time that all it took to get a relaxed, happy Kaoru was a shower, a bed, and some friendly teasing.

Friendly?

Were we friends now? Before, we were teammates, and we didn't get along too well, so much so that the mere thought of them caused me to cringe, but now? Now, when Akane laughed and turned to me, gesturing for me to join in and continue tickling Kaoru, and I immediately agreed, and laughed along with the redhead?

Suddenly the term didn't seem so foreign anymore.

* * *

We'd finally reached Grass Village, returned the Princess to her father without any complications and set off on our way back to Konoha since it was still light outside. We travelled at ninja speed, a great relief for my bored mind and a great chance to finally stretch my legs. Naturally, I kept having random bursts of speed which made me rush to the front as I hadn't had the chance to do a proper long-distance run in a while, and I was just reacquainting myself with the motion. Luckily, it only took a few minutes, and soon I was able to maintain a constant pace and stick to our formation – the three of us in a triangle formation, Kaoru at the top with Akane and I at the sides, and sensei covering the back, making it a rough arrow/square shape.

We traveled until the sun set as we were all, well, apart from Akane, who hadn't even considered it; sensei, Kaoru and I were all anxious to cross the border of Fire Country before nightfall. Although we were officially allied with Kumo, one can never be too careful in our profession.

I first felt it when we were setting camp; that unnerving feeling that someone was watching us. I looked around and dismissed the idea, since Izaya-sensei went to set traps around the camp, just in case, and I trusted his abilities. But the feeling stayed, and it only got stronger when Kaoru and Akane disappeared into their tents. I debated whether I should tell Izaya-sensei, but decided against it. He'd probably laugh me off – I couldn't justify the feeling, and gut instinct wasn't enough of a reason to demand to move camp.

I bid my sensei goodnight and settled into my tent, fatigue creeping up on me, but I fought it off. As long as that feeling stayed, I would not fall asleep. I refused to be caught off guard. Sighing, I took out a soldier pill and swallowed. Not the best source of nutrition, but it served as a good replacement of food and necessary rest, and had just enough caffeine or whatever drug it was they put in it to snap me wide awake. Unfortunately, being awake meant remaining suspicious and uptight, which resulted in me jumping at every possible sound, kunai drawn and ready for an attack.

Soon, I lost track of time, but that omnipresent feeling was still there. I decided I couldn't take it anymore and left the false security my tent provided me with and sought out Izaya-sensei.

Surprisingly, I found him sitting in his tent, back straight and katana drawn. It seemed like my warning was useless now, but I still felt the need to say it.

I gulped. "Sensei…" I was surprised at the hoarseness of my own voice. "I think we're being watched."

Izaya-sensei nodded wordlessly. "Go wake up the other two. If we can, we'll run. If not…" he trailed off. I obeyed and soon we were all standing in the middle of the clearing, Akane still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. I cursed myself inwardly – one of us should've taken guard when we arrived.

Suddenly, a small purple ball rolled towards us, stopping just a few feet away from Akane.

"Huh?" the redhead mumbled sleepily, and I could see his confusion. Sensei's eyes fell on the ball and widened.

"It's an ambush! Hide!" he yelled, but the bomb had exploded before he finished, engulfing the whole clearing in heavy purple smoke. I used my unnatural speed and flashed to one of the trees, hiding behind some branches, all the while holding my breath and hoping against hope that my teammates had enough common sense to realise the smoke could have been poisoned. I heard coughing, and swore quietly when I recognised it as Akane's. I closed my eyes, focusing on the chakras around me, trying to distinguish my teammate from the dozens – _Dozens?!_ – of other chakra signatures.

I jumped to what I assumed to be Akane's side and grabbed him by the arm. However, he was blinded by the smoke and obviously unable to recognise chakra signatures, so he tried to fight me off. "Stop it!" I hissed at him, "It's me, you idiot!" he relaxed, and followed more willingly, tripping occasionally.

I led him to where I was hiding before, too shocked to appreciate the fact that sensei had already gathered Kaoru. I let go of Akane's arm and focused on controlling my breath.

"Sensei. I sensed a good twenty signatures out there, we should run." I gasped.

"And let Kumo get away with treason? No, Sakura-chan. We can't run." Sensei coughed, but still maintained the stern, certain look.

I glanced at the purple smoke still surrounding us, then at my teammates. Kaoru was struggling to hold his breath, and Akane was turning slightly blue. Without thinking of the consequences, I grabbed an explosive tag from my pouch and threw it at the clearing. The blast managed to clear the smoke, but also set fire to some of the trees.

I stilled when I heard laughter. Slowly, we all turned our heads to the source. My heart skipped a beat then restarted double the speed at what I saw.

At least thirty men now stood in the clearing, every one of them muscled, tall and brandishing a weapon of some sort. I gulped. Thirty against four? Not my favourite odds. Suddenly my eyes fell on a familiar face, and I gasped.

"Those men…" I whispered, pointing at the group of four. "They were the Princess' guards!"

"Shit!" sensei cursed. "So it was a set-up from the very beginning. Just peachy." He hissed.

I was all the more convinced that we should flee. However, sensei seemed intent on staying, as did Akane if the determined glint in his eyes was anything to go by. But I knew when the odds were against me, and it was not cowardice which made me want to leave as soon as possible, but the knowledge that if we stayed, it was quite likely one of us would not return.

As a last resort, I turned my pleading eyes to Kaoru, the most rational of us. He sent me a sad glance. "I'm sorry. But they look like they could outrun us if we fled. I think it's better to stay and fight. Sorry, Sakura-chan." He consoled me.

"Pinky, if you're really that scared, you don't have to fight." I turned my eyes to Akane in surprise. "Just make sure you stay clear and don't get in the way!"

I was shocked. And it was the pleasant shocked either. It was the fact that he thought I would _get in the way. _But, to my surprise, sensei nodded, agreeing with his words. Too hurt to argue, I jumped away the moment they left the hiding place.

I tried to get away from the sounds of metal clashing, the screams and jutsus being called out, but it was futile. I was too worried to leave my teammates, but too aware of what could happen if I returned to the battlefield.

Suddenly, a scream rang through the air. _Akane_. Resolve not to get involved shattered, I turned on my heel and ran back to the clearing, only to witness the gruesome scene it had become;

Sensei was battling five ninja at the same time, Kaoru executing a group genjutsu which managed to catch six or seven men off guard, all the while defending against a katana wielding nin with his left hand. But it was Akane who'd screamed, and I soon saw why. One of the men had trapped his leg with some sort of earth jutsu, while three others were taking their time in slicing at him with their katanas, sadistic grins on their faces. Long, bleeding cuts covered Akane's body, and I heard the tell-tale crack of a bone braking when the earth around his ankle tightened its hold, effectively snapping it. Akane's eyes closed at the pain, and he collapsed to his knees, sobbing. I snapped out of my daze when one of the men raised their katana over their head, and swung at the redhead's shaking form, aiming to bring the final blow.

_**No! **_

Before my mind could catch up, my body acted on its own, jumping between the ninja and my teammate, hands flashing, making brain-matter splatter on the grass with a single touch. My sudden intrusion made the men who were standing around watching come at me, but I was angry, and unable to stop. When the others realised that all it took was for me to touch them, they backed down, instead focusing on Kaoru. Panicking, I didn't know what was my main priority – taking Akane to a safer location, or helping Kaoru.

I decided Kaoru could fend for himself for a few more seconds, and grabbed Akane, easily destroying what was keeping his ankle captive with a concentrated burst of chakra. The redhead was too heavy for my petite body to lift on its own, so I was forced to keep a constant flow of precious chakra to my arms in order to not drop the redhead.

Once in a 'safe' location, I returned to the clearing, in time to see one of the ninjas launch a kunai in between Kaoru's shoulder blades. The tall brunette cried out, but didn't disengage from the two ninja he was currently fighting. I threw two well-aimed kunai at both of them, killing instantly. Kaoru turned in surprise, just in time to receive a hard kick to the stomach from one of the ninja. I winced at the sound of bone cracking. Not thinking much about the corpses around me, or the fact that my teammates kept dropping like flies, I jumped into the mass of bodies and pointy objects, and began my dance.

* * *

A few minutes later, I stood alone amongst the pile of corpses in the burning, destroyed field. My side was bleeding quite badly, my left wrist was most probably dislocated, and my head felt like it was on fire. Even I didn't escape the battle unscathed, but I was in the best state out the four of us, simply because I was still conscious.

Akane fainted, probably due to the pain, or blood loss; Kaoru's genjutsu backfired, and he was currently unconscious, wincing and moaning out in pain. Izaya-sensei… he was the worst out of all of us. Forced to take on those who were too scared to fight me, he found himself looking like a hedgehog with the amount of swords and kunai which stuck out of him. My first priority was to bandage the most important wounds, but I decided to leave the swords in his body, since removing them could cause him to lose too much blood. I winced. Decision making was not my best forte. I never acted well under pressure.

I had just unintentionally received my first real taste of the shinobi world. The pain, the death, the responsibility which comes with being the only one left standing. If any of my teammates didn't make it, it would be my fault for not treating their wounds properly.

I heaved a sigh and sobbed, but no tears left my eyes. When the battle ended, I dragged sensei and Kaoru to where I had taken Akane, but now I was at a loss of what to do next. My back slid down the tree trunk as I sat down, head in my hands.

From where I sat, I could still see the mess of the battle, and as I stared at the gory, bloody mess which was left of our opponents, I decided to at least pay them a little respect.

_And calm my paranoia that they might get up and go after us._ My mind whispered.

I got up as casually as I could and walked over to my pack which was in my tent, still surprisingly intact. I held in my hiss of pain as I leaned down to retrieved the matches. Next, I set out to look for some firewood, since, although it was unnecessary, the walk calmed my mind. Once I had enough, I piled all of them in the middle of the clearing where the bodies lay, lit the match in my hand and dropped it onto the wood. It caught fire instantly. As I watched the flames spread and smelled the stink of burning bodies, I suddenly remembered the song dad used to sing to me.

"_Tell me would you kil__l to save a life? Tell me would you kill to prove you're right? __Crash crash! Burn, let it all burn! This hurricane's chasing us all underground…"_On the last note, I watched as the wood turned to ashes and crumbled. A smirk tugged at the corners of my mouth, and I accepted the fact that together with the wood, a part of my sanity, and the walls I had so precariously built around myself crumbled as well.

* * *

I blinked, and the horror of what I'd just done hit me with the stink of burning corpses. Frightened, I looked around and let out a sigh of relief when I saw my teammates in the same place I'd left them. But I was still clueless on how to transport them to Konoha.

"Damn it!" I cussed, and my chakra lashed out angrily like a whip, the tip wrapping around one of the fallen branches and as I tugged my hand up, the whip followed and sent the branch crashing into a nearby tree. I blinked in confusion. _Huh? _Curious, I repeated the action, this time more controlled; I elongated the chakra, moulded it so there were to ends to the 'whip' and made it grasp a branch each. Slowly, I reduced the amount of chakra which shortened the 'chakra whip', and soon both branches lay on the open palm of my hand.

Intrigued, I considered that in order to carry out the plan which bloomed in my mind, I would have to solidify my chakra at one end, while keeping it connected to myself on the other. Carefully, I sent my chakra in the direction of Akane's hand and let it slowly pool underneath. When the chakra spread so it covered the surface area of the redhead's hand, I slightly lifted my own hand to see if the connection worked. I grinned – Akane's hand hung suspended in the air, a light blue bubble of chakra underneath it.

* * *

The Hidden Leaf Village was greeted by a shocking sight early morning, a week after the news of a Kumo attack on a small group of gennin reached the village. Only the select few trusted ninja knew the true extent of the damage, as they had seen with their own eyes the report a group of jounin travelling by had given – ultimate destruction. But back to the matter at hand; the villagers who were bustling about, preparing their stalls, or just minding their own business all turned in the direction of the main gates. A small pink haired girl, covered in blood, grime and sweat appeared, but what shocked people was the chakra… tray? Bed? Bubble? Which was connected to her. What surprised them even more was the fact that it carried three unconscious, badly wounded males on top. The girl herself looked ready to drop, but when she met the people's eyes, she sighed.

"Finally." She whispered happily. The pinkette stood for a few more seconds, before she suddenly collapsed face-first on the ground.

A moment of silence and stillness and then; "Someone get the Hokage! And the medics! Now!"

* * *

**Well, here it is! I was working on it for a few days, hope I didn't disappoint ;) Sakura's little freak-out will be explained in the next chapters, as will her weird chakra-bubble-thingy.**

**Sorry it came out so late – I'm preparing for a basketball camp so I wanted to get it out to you guys before I leave tomorrow… Also I've just discovered the awesomeness that is Kuroko no Basuke, so I'm quite hung up on that ^_^**

**Hope you enjoyed, and please REVIEW!**


	9. Explanations

**Wow. I was so overwhelmed with the positive response I had for the previous chapter! Thank you all so much! Also, I would like to thank the few people who found something off with the chapter, and instead of just flaming offered their opinion and suggestions – KasonSama, Impatiens Psittacina - so thank you guys for that! If something is still off, feel free to PM me or mention it in your review!  
As for flamers… hm, no comment for you. **

**Anyway, I apologise if the previous chapter didn't quite meet your expectations – I admit, I did rush it slightly as I really wanted to get it out for you before I left to go to camp. Let's see if this one is better!**

* * *

I cracked my eyes open only to immediately shut them as bright light assaulted my senses. After a few seconds, I tried again, this time slower, letting my eyes adjust to the incredible whiteness of the room. I looked around only to realize that I was in the hospital. I winced when I tried to – unsuccessfully – get out of the bed; my body felt like it'd been tossed and turned in a washing machine, and my headache definitely didn't like the constant beeping of the heart-rate monitor. Frowning, I tugged at the tubes sticking out of me until I pulled all of them out, feeling slightly better once the room turned quiet.

I heard a sigh next to me. "I should've known that would be the first thing you'd do when you woke up." I turned my head to face the owner of the voice and was surprised to see Izaya-sensei staring at me, half in amusement, half in worry. "How are you feeling, Sakura-chan?" he questioned, his voice quiet and hoarse.

I considered his question; my head ached and I felt slightly nauseous, I couldn't move my hand without wincing, my side felt like someone had burned it, and my chest hurt with every breath I took, but overall, yes, I was in pain, but I felt fine. Well, better than I expected.

"Not too bad." I replied, shocked at the croakiness of my voice. Sensei didn't look convinced. "Why? Did something happen?" I asked, genuinely concerned.

Sensei sighed again and shook his head, probably the most serious I'd ever seen him. "You've been in a coma for two weeks, Sakura-chan." He whispered. I blinked, his words not making much sense to my clouded mind. Two weeks? "One of the kunai had pierced a lung, not to mention the chakra exhaustion you exposed yourself to when you used your chakra to… _carry_ us. The med-nins were surprised you survived."

I stiffened at his words, but there was something much more important at the moment that my unexpected survival. "What about Akane and Kaoru? They were more beaten up than I was, and so were you, sensei. What happened?" I questioned, anxious to hear about my teammates' condition. "Both of them are fine, still awaiting dismissal. Kaoru's genjutsu backfired, and it shook him up quite a lot mentally, but I think it only fuelled his desire to expand his abilities beyond that of genjutsu. As for Akane… he's beating himself up over the fact that he was the first to fall unconscious. He's perfectly fine; his cuts were healed immediately, as was his ankle. And I'm here, Sakura-chan. Alive and breathing, though that might not last for very long – it's my fault all of you were injured. But… I couldn't just run, not after, not after _that_ time…" Sensei added the last part quietly, but I still heard. He took a deep, shuddering breath, but made no move to continue.

"What happened '_that_ time', sensei?" I prompted, curious.

"I… I guess I do owe you an explanation, even if you are my student." He took a deep breath and began his tale. "I was on an ANBU team with Uchiha Itachi, his cousin, my brother and… your father." He started, pausing to check my reaction. I kept my face carefully blank, waiting for him to continue. "It was a similar situation – we had completed the mission set, and we were on our way back to Konoha when we were ambushed. About fifty ninja, all jounin or higher, wearing the Kiri headband. Fifty against five – not the most favourable odds. Your father, a jounin mysteriously assigned to an ANBU team proposed we split up and lead them into the traps we had planted around the perimeter. But Uchiha-taichou said the odds were too great, and that it would be too much of a risk to split up. He ordered us to run, saying that we'd be safe once we crossed the border of the Fire Country. However, when we turned to run, one of the men came after us, and when he realised he couldn't catch us up, he threw a kunai. It was stupid, so, so stupid; even an ape could chuck something, and there would be a 50% chance he hit his target. The kunai was heading in my direction, but since I was only a kid at the time, I froze up and was too paralyzed to move. Shizuo-nii noticed that, and he pushed me out of the way, deflecting the kunai, but what he didn't realise was that the Kiri-nin had predicted that his weapon would be deflected, so in the few seconds it took my brother to react, he'd moved closer and stabbed him with a sword. The Uchiha kid acted immediately, decapitating the man, but the damage was done. My brother lay dead at my feet, and it was my entire fault."

Finally he stopped, and my heart clenched when I saw the tears which had gathered in his eyes. "That's why I couldn't bring myself to run away this time. I thought… I thought that if we faced them, history wouldn't repeat itself. But it did, and I endangered _your_ lives because of _my_ paranoia. I'm sorry. I'm a terrible sensei." He hung his head in shame.

I shook my head, my eyes wide at the story and his confession. "No, no sensei. I'm sorry. I had no idea that you- that we had-" I paused and tried to collect my thoughts. "History didn't repeat itself. We're all alive."

Sensei smiled through his tears. "Ah, you're right. And yet I'm crying like a baby… How did I even become a jounin? I'm so weak." He mumbled the last part. Suddenly, I was reminded of what dad always used to tell me every time I hid from him to cry alone.

"Hey, sensei… People cry not because they're weak, but because they've been strong for too long. It's OK to let go once in a while." I smiled reassuringly, awaiting his reaction. To my surprise, he chuckled weakly.

"You really are too much like your dad." He muttered. "Which reminds me; the Hokage wishes to see you once you're stable enough to walk."

I nodded and tried getting out of bed, this time succeeding. "Oh, and Sakura?" I looked over my shoulder at Izaya-sensei. "When you're done, come to Room 130. Akane and Kaoru are there."

I smiled, grabbed my clothes on my way and limped out of the door, curious as to what the Hokage could want with someone like me.

* * *

I stood outside the Hokage's office, nervously debating whether I should run while I still had the chance. _Eh, I can't think of anything he could want from me… _I decided to just go in and get it over with, so I knocked, and waited for the reply.

"Come in." came the Hokage's voice. I obeyed and stepped in, looking around, I spotted the three Elders sitting behind the Hokage. I stifled a groan, the memory of the male Elder throwing a kunai at me during my first time in the office still fresh in my mind. "Ah, Sakura-chan. Glad you're feeling better."

"Hokage-sama." I bowed respectfully. "Thank you. Why did you summon me, may I ask?" I questioned carefully.

"I'd just like to talk with you about the mission. Your sensei already handed in a written report, and I also had the report from the group of jounin who were traveling by, but I'd like to hear about it from you, to get the full picture, if you don't mind."

My eye twitched in annoyance. "If there were jounin nearby, why did none of them come to help, Hokage-sama?" I asked, struggling to remain polite with the knowledge of possible back-up which did not appear.

The Third's expression turned grim. "The jounin arrived after the battle, Sakura-chan. Their report only described the destruction, not the people who caused it, as your chakra signatures had already faded away, they couldn't follow."

I nodded with fake understanding. But inside I was bristling with anger. _So what if they couldn't follow! They should've sent for back-up anyway!_

"Do you mind if I start the questioning now?" I shook my head, no. "Right. Answer honestly, and with detail. Firstly, what happened to the ninjas that attacked you?" The Sandaime began.

"Dead." I deadpanned, not in the mood to recall everything that took place. The horror of it all was still too fresh in my mind.

"Dead? How?" the Hokage enquired. Right, details. He wants details.

"After I jumped in to stop the ninja killing my teammate, I killed all of the ones who came at me. Kunai to the throat; blocked chakra point; obliterated skull. Sensei was handling the ninja who weren't fighting me, but he was soon overwhelmed and rendered unconscious. I was left to fight them on my own – once I was done, I burned their corpses to make sure they wouldn't come after us." I winced at the last sentence, remembering the paranoia which overtook my senses, the intense fear that they will get up and attack when I was the most vulnerable.

Silence filled the room at that confession.

"…I see. I would like you to come to my office again tomorrow – I'll have someone escort you downstairs."

"Why, Hokage-sama?" I asked, truly perplexed.

"We need to run a psych exam. After such an event you might me unstab-"

"You're calling me crazy because I _saved my teammates_?!" I shrieked, in indignation.

"It's not a matter of what you did; it's _**how**_ you did it, Sakura-chan." The God of Shinobi defended, trying to sound stern.

That earned him a raised eyebrow from yours truly. "And how, pray tell, was I supposed to save my teammates without disposing of the enemy?" I asked.

"There are ways of stopping the enemy which do not involve killing them."

"With all due respect, Sandaime-sama: those men were most probably missing-nin, if they had enough nerve to threaten a freshly-renewed alliance. Had I not killed them, they could have been seriously disastrous for Konoha's trade and import; as well as the lives of our shinobi. Also, missing-nin tend to become bounty hunters, and therefore thieves too. Simply imprisoning them wouldn't work – men like that have connections." I gave him a, what I thought to be, fool-proof justification from the top of my head.

A steely expression stole over the Hokage's face. "You're eight, Sakura-san. Also, disposing of ninja without direct instruction to do so is a violation of the Shinobi Codex, one which you swore to honour when you became a ninja."

Oh, so he was going to pull the Shinobi Codex on me? Fine.

"The shinobi codex was put together by Konohagakure's Hokage. They wrote in it the qualities which every self-respecting ninja should have." I started. When the Hokage remained silent, I took it as a cue to continue. "Wouldn't it make sense to include the Yondaime's self-appointed rule?" when the Sandaime paled, I couldn't help but feel almost malicious pleasure at driving the God of Shinobi into his own trap. _"A ninja who breaks the rules is trash, but those who abandon their comrades are __**worse**__ than trash!"_

* * *

I walked into Room 130 with a confident smirk on my face, but, before I could even react, I was tackled to the ground by a flash of red. _Oh no…_

"Pinky! You're alive!" Akane's oh-so-annoying voice right next to my ear was _not _the best greeting in the world.

"Calm down, Akane. You're suffocating her." Kaoru's quiet voice reached my ears, somehow clearer than the redhead's animated chatter. I peeked over Akane's shoulder, sending a somewhat pleading look at the brunette. He sighed, before delivering a swift kick to the boy's side, forcing the redhead to get off of me, and offered me a hand, which I took gratefully.

"Owww! That hurt, Kaoru-chan!" Akane whined while rolling on the floor pitifully.

"Deal with it, _Baka_." The brunette growled playfully, smirking at the redhead. He walked me over to one of the beds, then proceeded to jump on it, immediately crawling under the soft duvet, and I couldn't help but find the action incredibly _cute_. Deciding to not voice my thoughts, I sat down by his feet, my eyes scanning the room to see if sensei was already there. He was. Once Akane joined us – pushing Kaoru to the side so he could crawl in beside him – we all faced Izaya-sensei, who looked quite nervous, but determined.

"I wanted to talk with you about the mission, and your… inability to work as a team." He took a deep, calming breath before continuing. "Do you mean to tell me that you still think you're ready for missions like that? C-Ranks turning out to be A-Ranks where your entire team had almost died?"

We sat in silence, the playful, relaxed atmosphere from before gone. For once, none of us dared interrupt one of sensei's speeches.

"Or, maybe, you mean to tell me that you can still go on like you are now, a random bunch of individuals? You don't even deserve to be called a team. When I first saw you, it was clear that all of you were here for your own, personal reasons, regardless of the situation. You almost died because you were too selfish to work together! Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"

I barely restrained myself from openly gaping at the man. Not too long ago, he was telling me how sorry he was for endangering our lives, but now he said that our lives were endangered because we didn't work together? Where's the logic in that? How can someone change their opinions so quickly?

It seemed my teammates were just as surprised, as silence reigned in the room. Even Akane who always seemed to go around undermining his authorities for fun sat quietly, nervously fidgeting under sensei's accusatory stare.

Finally, the silence was broken by Kaoru. "I can understand the source of your distress, Izaya-sensei." The brunette began quietly. "However, what I don't understand is why you're making such a big deal out of it." He ignored Akane's gasp at his bluntness and continued. "It was, after all, at _your_ order that we attacked, and it was _you_ who gave the order without checking the opponent's skill level first. You left Sakura-chan behind when she asked you to run, but now you're blaming _US_ for being irresponsible?" his voice raised, and I noticed sensei was looking at Kaoru like he'd grown a second head. But the brunette was oblivious to the stare, and if he noticed, he ignored it in favour of continuing. "A team also needs a leader, and if you're not going to take that position, then how do you expect us to work together with nobody to lead us in the right direction?"

Once again, the room was enveloped in silence as we absorbed Kaoru's words and the implications behind them. It seemed like the team was broken – I had listened to Izaya-sensei's story, and even felt sorry for him. I was ready to learn from the traumatic experience once I knew the reasons, ready to forgive him for risking our lives. But now, when he turned on us, I found it hard to believe this was the same man whom I had talked to in the morning.

And then my teammates were so out of character, Akane being unusually quiet and sullen while Kaoru spoke out against our sensei. The world was coming to an end, I decided.

Kaoru cleared his throat. "I apologise for my harsh words, but I believe that it was important to address the issue. I think; _I hope, _that I speak on the behalf of Team 13 and whatever is to become of its future."

Izaya-sensei looked us all in the eyes. "And what so you think, Sakura, Akane?"

I met his gaze head on. "I agree with Kaoru, sensei."

Akane seemed to snap out of his daze as he nodded. "Yeah, I agree with Kaoru-chan, as impossible as it sounds." He added.

"So you all agree with him, even if it means going against me, your sensei?" he asked. I nodded, my eyes never leaving his even as I spoke.

"A part of a sensei's job is lead, and pass on his experience." I stated. Kaoru nodded along. "Hai, and even with all your speeches about teamwork, you still didn't object when Akane suggested we leave Sakura at the camp." I winced. Why did everybody keep bringing that up?

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Akane was looking down at his hands, a guilty expression on his face. "Hey, what's done is done." I nudged him with a grin as his gaze snapped up to me and his eyes widened at the fact that I was actually _comforting him. _But I wasn't finished. "Seriously, don't think too much about it or your head might implode."

It took the redhead only a few seconds to register my words before he blushed in indignation. "OI!" and as I stuck my tongue out at him, a rare indication that I was still a child, everyone laughed, diffusing the tension. And when sensei apologised for his accusations, saying that he was only curious as to our reaction and would never, ever hold us responsible for what happened, I smiled.

Maybe there was still hope for our team, after all.

* * *

The dismissal from hospital three days later came as a blessing. I was unaware of the fact that the whole village seemed to have found out about our mission-gone-wrong and now everywhere we went people would stare at us, or ask me to demonstrate the chakra-bed-thingy. I politely declined every time, saying that it was just a fitting solution to the moment, since, after all, necessity is the mother of invention. What people failed to notice was that imperceptible wince I gave every time someone mentioned the mission. I still remembered what my teammates were lucky enough not to see; the corpses, the screams, the stink of burning flesh… I shivered. It definitely left a scar on my mentality, but be it from pride, or the fact that I liked my job too much to let it go, when I went in for that psych exam, I answered all of the questions as normally as possible, even if on the inside my mind was coming up with _completely, worryingly _different answers.

Since all of our injuries had healed, and our bond as a team had tightened, we were back on active duty, ready to take on more C-Ranks, and Akane had already started begging Izaya-sensei to let us tr our luck with a B-Rank, but so far, sensei remained firm.

"Senseiiiiii~! Please! Don't be so mean!" The redhead wailed as sensei once again rejected his plea. Suddenly, he received a slap to his head, courtesy of Kaoru. "Shut up, _Bakakane. _You're giving me a headache." The brunette sighed tiredly.

"Waaa! Only pinky loves me!" he exclaimed as he ran to tackle me, but I side-stepped his hug at the very last moment, making him fall to the ground. "In your dreams, Carrot-boy." I teased.

"Why do all of you hate me?" he questioned pitifully, but I could see that he was restraining himself from grinning. When no one answered him, he huffed. "Fine. Be that way. I'm going to my home. At least there someone loves me." He muttered sulkily, but he suddenly perked up. "Hey, Pinky, when we were at the hospital, Kaoru's mom came over, and my old man even visited for a few minutes, but none of us ever saw your parents…?" he trailed off, unsure. I stiffened, but guessed it was time to tell them the truth.

"That's because I'm an orphan, Akane. I've been living alone for a good three years now." I said, a neutral expression on my face. His eyes widened. "S-Sorry, pinky!" he apologised. "I didn't know-!"

"It's OK. A chunin comes over about once every three months to see if everything is going well, if I'm managing the bills and if the state of my house is still decent. I'm not alone, so I'm fine, really."

Akane breathed a sigh of relief, but I felt a hand settle on my shoulder. I looked up to see Kaoru standing behind me, looking at me with a smile on his face. "Even so, we can't just let you celebrate our first mission outside of the village alone. I'm inviting you both to my house for dinner. You too, sensei, if you can make it."

I felt a genuine smile bloom on my face, and I didn't have it in my heart to decline the invitation. "I'll be there, Kaoru. Thank you." I muttered.

"No problem, Sakura-chan. Friends look out for each other, right, _Baka_kane?" he asked. The redhead nodded vigorously. "You bet, Kaoru-chan!"

* * *

**Well, here is. Hope you enjoyed, and I would love to hear your opinions in a review!**

**By the way, Bakakane is a combination of **_**Baka – idiot, **_**and Akane's name, therefore creating BakAkane. **

**Thank you once again, and see you all next chapter!**

**~Love,**

**Invincible Shadow**


	10. Change

**Thank you so much for all of the amazing, motivating reviews! They made my day! Also, just a quick shout-out to one of my most faithful reviewers – DiamondForest; thank you for supporting this story from the very, very beginning! **

**By the way, *DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ/SEEN CHAPTER 641 OF THE MANGA!*but I'm currently in denial. I mean, Kishimoto had literally just killed off my all-time-favourite character. WHY KILL NEJI?! So yeah. Since I refuse to believe that our destiny obsessed, Juuken-wielding brunette is no more, there is a small, totally irrelevant part of this chapter dedicated to him. And our Sakura. So although it doesn't serve to move the plot across at all, I needed it. **

**Anyway, hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_It was chaos. Screams and the smell of burning flesh penetrated the air; bodies, so mangled that they barely held any resemblance to a human being lay motionless on the floor, those few who still had a spark of life in them were currently burning to their deaths as the flickering orange flames consumed the whole clearing, and all the while the pinkette stood silently, observing the execution with no small amount of fascination._

_The scenery was gross; it was bloody and gory, but she watched on, the knowledge that __**she **__had been the one to deliver the final blow still fresh in her mind, a part of her overwhelmed with the discovery of how _fragile _ninja really were, while another small part of her mind whispered those traitorous thoughts that she had enjoyed the show, that she had-_

"_**Sakura!"**_

I jolted awake, cold sweat running down my face in small rivulets which made me shiver. I looked around frantically, panicking slightly when I was unable to recognise my surroundings in the darkness of the room.

"Sakura, Sakura." A quiet voice alerted me to the presence of my teammates. I blinked a few times before my eyes focused on the shady contours of Kaoru's face, and his concerned expression as he took in my shaken form.

"Where am I?" I whispered, not trusting my voice. The brunette's eyebrows scrunched up as he frowned at my pitiful state, but I didn't care.

"It's OK, Sakura. You're at my house, you just had a nightmare. I invited you and Akane over for dinner, remember?" he explained patiently. I racked my brain, and indeed, I remembered. I relaxed and willed my body to stop shaking, but flashes of the nightmare kept appearing in my mind. I buried my face in the pillow, and felt a familiar weight settle next to me. "That nightmare," Kaoru began as his hand rose to tentatively stroke my back. "Was it about the mission?"

I stilled, and sighed. Of course Kaoru would be the one to figure it out. I nodded. "Pinky, relax. It's over. Don't worry about it." Another familiar voice spoke from my side, as Akane made himself as comfortable as he could on the narrow bed. I shook my head and made a noise of denial, still not looking up. "Sakura, look at me." Kaoru's voice was filled with authority, still soft, but somehow, I was inclined to obey. When he was sure I was looking at him and listening, he said; "It _is_ over. You saved our lives. Those men got what they deserved. Learn from your mistakes and move on."

In the back of my mind I was amused at how this reminded me of my conversation with the Hokage, only that now the roles seemed to have been reversed. I sighed. "I guess you're right. Thank you." I mumbled into the pillow, but I knew they heard me. Both boys tried to get off the bed, but for some unknown reason, my hands shot out to keep them in place. "Can you stay…please?" I asked feebly.

Akane chuckled. "Sure, pinky. Just don't kill us when you wake up and find yourself squished." I managed a small smile at the fact that he still had his humorous nature, even at ungodly o'clock. "Goodnight."

* * *

Next morning found me waking up alone, snuggled up into the warm duvet and inwardly cursing the sun which glared at me through the open window. Slowly, the events of last night which had been previously overshadowed by the nightmare filtered through, and I remembered the amazing dinner, the games and laughs. Kaoru's mother had proven to be a wonderful woman who went by the name of Kiyoshi. She was most probably in her late thirties, and I was amazed by how kindly she welcomed me and Akane, and how _happy _and _carefree _Kaoru became around her. The dinner was incredible, and we were all so immersed in each other that by the time we were done it was already eleven o'clock. Naturally, Kiyoshi _insisted _we stay the night since it was 'too dangerous' to be out alone so late. Unable to resist the motherly nature and with the knowledge that it was raining buckets outside, we agreed to stay. Now, as I stretched lazily, I appreciated our decision even more, especially as the delicious smell of what could only be pancakes filled the room.

I quickly dressed and went downstairs. Since yesterday was filled with talking, I didn't have a lot of time to explore the house, but now, with the light from the outside shining through the window, I noticed that all of the walls were lined with pictures. Most of them were of Kaoru as a young boy, while some also had Kiyoshi and another man whom I assumed was Kaoru's father.

Huh. I only just realised I had never thought about my teammates' families before. But I dismissed the thought for the time being, instead focusing on following the delicious scent of freshly made pancakes.

I'll think about the more pressing matters _after _I have some food.

* * *

"Thank you for letting us stay at your house, Kiyoshi-sama." I thanked and bowed to the woman as we prepared to leave the house.

"Ah, Sakura-chan! I already told you, it was no problem! And drop the –_sama _child, it makes me feel old!" she replied good-naturedly. I nodded and gave her a small smile.

Kaoru who stood beside me smiled at her as well. "I'll be back in the evening. Arigato, kaa-san." He murmured and turned to me. "Where is that idiot now?" he asked, and I immediately knew he was referring to the missing redhead. Unfortunately, I had no idea where he had gone, so I shrugged. The brunette sighed and took a deep breath. "OI! Carrot-boy! Where the hell are you? We're getting older with each second we waste waiting for you, you baka!" he hollered into the house.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" we heard Akane's distant voice, followed by a few thumps and crashes. Finally the redhead appeared at the bottom of the staircase, adjusting the strap of his scroll. "Geez, chill your pants, Kaoru-chan. I was only gone for a few minutes." He whined.

"Well, we're late to training now, because of those 'few minutes', so don't expect any sympathy from us when sensei makes you run." Kaoru grumbled, before he turned on his heel and walked out of the house. I stayed a bit longer to wait for Akane, as the redhead in question stopped to bid Kaoru's mother goodbye.

"Arigato, Kiyoshi-san! You're much nicer to me than your son is!" he joked as he bowed, making Kiyoshi laugh. "Ah, thank you. Now, off you go, Akane-chan, Sakura-chan, or I'm not to be held responsible for what my son does to you. He hates being late."

I nodded and dragged Akane out of the house, not looking forward to an enraged Kaoru. However, the brunette looked calm as we approached him, and I was almost fooled if not for the kunai which he was clutching tightly in his hand.

Deciding I valued my life more than sticking up for a teammate, I quickly Shunshin'ed away to the training ground.

_Sorry, Akane._

* * *

The first half of training was gruelling as always, if not more, considering sensei was quite agitated by the fact we were late. We sparred, switching partners when one of us won. As always, I won against Akane as he still couldn't keep track of my speed, but I grew frustrated when I couldn't immediately best sensei, which ended in him pinning me down with a kunai at my throat. He congratulated me on my effort, but it didn't change the fact that I still lost. Much to my chagrin, I lost to Kaoru _yet again _as I was once again fooled by one of his intricately woven genjutsu, and, as if to add salt to the already aching wound in my pride, I had _**no idea**_ I was trapped in the illusion until I realised that the air around me had become distorted by a masking genjutsu which was _deliberately _becoming undone. Something akin to admiration registered itself in my mind as I noted the few opportunities he'd to perform such an advanced technique.

It was with much bitterness and resentment that I realised that my incredible speed or proficiency in taijutsu meant _nothing _when faced with an opponent who excelled at tricking the mind. Thus, having discovered a problem in my defence, I decided to deal with it in the best way I saw fit.

At break, when we were all sitting around, resting, I approached Kaoru, my mind set. He looked at me in confusion, so I said. "Teach me. Genjutsu… is my weakest point." I forced that confession through gritted teeth, and I saw Kaoru raise an eyebrow at the annoyed expression on my face. "I don't like having a weakness." I explained. "Point of the matter is, I suck at genjutsu. I can't break it, I can't cast it, and I thought that since _you_ can, maybe you could… teach me? Please?" I asked.

Kaoru smiled, and nodded eagerly. "Sure. What do you want to learn first? Casting or breaking?" he questioned as he got up.

I pondered his question for a few seconds. "Breaking." I decided. "If I know what to look for in illusions to be able to break them, I'll be able to apply that knowledge to my own genjutsu to make sure it doesn't have the same setback." I justified.

"OK. Let's get to work then, Sakura-chan." He said happily, but the raised eyebrow remained.

* * *

I was panting and sweating by the time training ended. If I ever thought jutsu which dealt with the mind were easy and did not require much physical strength and endurance, I was wrong. My head was pounding, my chakra was almost gone and my heart was beating like mad. Kaoru's teaching style was so painfully reminiscent of the way dad taught me that it hurt. In other words, that teaching style meant being subjected to multiple genjutsu until I found out a way to break it, with only a _hint_ of what I should be looking for, all the while fighting one-on-one with Kaoru so that I couldn't predict the moment he cast the illusion. In the end, once I detected the illusion, I settled for what I learned was the old-fashioned 'cut off the chakra flow, then restart with a massive burst that disrupts the caster's chakra' technique.

When I was able to successfully break the genjutsu almost immediately after detecting it, Kaoru educated me on the key points of _casting_ one. He said that the caster needs to have good control over their chakra and the ability to concentrate in difficult situations in order to cast the illusion properly. Next, he started me off on the simple D-Rank genjutsu called the _Demonic Illusion: Hell-Viewing Technique _– a technique which dug deep into the enemy's heart to find what they fear the most, then projected it in the illusion. However, although the technique was one of the easier ones, having never tried genjutsu before, it took me a good half of the afternoon to master it enough to make sure that it won't backfire on me.

Kaoru had warned me to be careful with the genjutsu I experiment with – techniques which deal with the mind tend to have the most dangerous consequences if not executed perfectly. When I was ready, and Akane had oh-so-conveniently _volunteered _to be my guinea-pig, I performed the necessary hand-signs and held my breath. A cluster of leaves swirled around Akane, but other than that, the redhead remained unaffected. I sent a confused look at Kaoru, but the brunette only had a small, knowing smirk on his face.

"Is that it, pinky? Three hours and it doesn't even work? I was expecting to at least be take-" Akane suddenly cut off, his jaw went slack and his eyes glazed over.

I stared at him for a second, perplexed, until I heard quiet chuckling by my side. I looked up at the same time Kaoru looked down at me, and I raised my eyebrow in a silent question. "The _Hell-Viewing technique _starts a few seconds after it's cast, since the target would have most likely moved from their position in a real-battle scenario. It gives the victim that fake sense of confidence before it strikes, so even now, when Akane was expecting it, he's still struggling with dispelling it because of the shock." the brunette explained patiently, the smug look still not leaving his face.

"Should I dispel it?" I asked curiously.

Kaoru looked at me, then at the still redhead, before he grinned. "Nah, let's leave the idiot to suffer a little more." I smirked and stuck out my hand for a high-five.

Izaya-sensei cast us an exasperated look. "You know, when I first met you two, I thought Kaoru was a shy, kind boy, and you an anti-social genius." He sighed tiredly. "I was such an idiot. You're both evil."

* * *

The next three months went by smoothly, or as smoothly as they could with constant life-endangering situations. Interestingly enough, our record as Team 13 now contained the following:

**D-Rank** : 19  
**C-Rank** : 9  
**B-Rank** : 4  
**A-Rank** : 1

Also, the village now recognised us as 'Team Troublemaker' since we were only 'officially' assigned 14 C-Ranks, _five_ of which had spiralled out into B and A-Ranks which was more than anyone had ever seen. It unfortunately resulted in our team coming home injured and bruised most of the time, but we made sure the mission was always completed. None of us were really complaining though, since the higher-ranking missions paid incredibly well. Only Izaya-sensei was constantly cursing his luck, since when he talked with other senseis in the Jounin HQ, most of the other teams hadn't even had their first C-Rank yet.

The A-Rank was an… _interesting_situation, at least in my opinion;

_We were escorting a monk who_ _carried some scroll of great value to the Earth Village, but we were intercepted by a group of cloaked ninja. They wore straw hats and black cloaks with red clouds, and the moment we saw them, sensei became white as a sheet. "Run." He choked out. I could understand why he was scared – even when I had no idea who these men were, the mere aura they radiated made me shiver. When I didn't move, sensei turned to me, fear and fierce determination evident in his eyes. "Take the monk and run!" he yelled again._

_I snapped out of the daze and nodded hurriedly. I discreetly glanced at Kaoru, who nodded back. We had worked on strategies multiple times in the last couple of weeks, and now it was time to finally use them. I waited a few tense seconds as Kaoru subtly set up his most recent creation – the multi-layered, no-escape false surroundings genjutsu. _

_I ran to the monk's side, but before I could so much as scream, a kunai ebbed itself deep in my shoulder making me hiss in pain. _

"_Genjutsu doesn't work against my eyes." A monotone voice came from the shorter figure which stood on the tree. "Although I must applaud your effort, my patience is running out."_

_In that split-second, I caught sight of slanted crimson eyes. _Sharingan_. I realised. Though an intense fear had set in the pit of my stomach, I continued what I was doing. Throwing an explosive kunai in the direction of the two men as a last, desperate diversion, I grabbed the monk and Shunshin'ed away from the scene._

_Although my teammates and sensei had survived the blast, the entire operation was pointless since the two ninja got what they wanted in the end, only later, during the night - they had somehow slipped past our guard and killed the monk in his tent, taking the scroll. When we returned to the village, heads down in shame, it turned out the monk had lied about almost everything, from his identity, to the importance of the scroll he was carrying – we found out that the scroll contained multiple Forbidden jutsu, and that though it was bad that it had gotten into the hands of very dangerous men, we were lucky to have escaped with our lives._

I snapped out of my reverie as a hand was waved in my face. I glared at Akane who stuck his tongue out at me in response. We; Kaoru, Akane, Izaya-sensei and I, were currently seated around one of the tables in the BBQ restaurant which had become one of our most frequented places, waiting for one of sensei's '_friends' _to arrive, because, apparently, she couldn't wait to meet us.

I played with the food on my plate, not in the mood to eat. Since my team had come over to my house last week and had discovered that I mostly lived off dango and onigri, they had taken it upon themselves to introduce me to a 'healthier' lifestyle. Everything would've been fine, if not for the fact that a 'healthier lifestyle' meant 'no sugar' and therefore, no dango.

_Dango…_

With my daily sugar supply taken away, I was currently sulking, and have been for about five days already, which meant that I was caught completely off-guard by a sudden burst of smoke on the seat next to Izaya-sensei. When the smoke cleared, it revealed a navy-haired woman with an amused smirk on her face.

While Akane jumped almost a foot in the air and shrieked, Kaoru choked on his drink and I had to use every ounce of self-control I possessed to refrain from throwing a kunai at the woman's head, sensei just sighed irritably, as if it was the most common thing in the world.

"I told you to stop with the flashy entrances, Anko. You almost gave them a heart attack." He remarked.

But the woman ignored him, instead giving the three of us an assessing look. "So, they are your brats?" she asked rudely.

Sensei pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed exasperatedly. "They are my _students, _Anko, so if you try to so much as touch them to 'see if they're worthy', I'll kill you." The sentence was delivered with humour, but the glint in sensei's eyes told me that he was serious.

"Whatever, whatever! Jeez, you sound like their mother!" she exclaimed, and I thought she noticed that I flinched at the word 'mother', but if she did, she didn't comment on it and turned to us. "Anyway, my name is Anko Mitarashi, Izaya's on-and-off girlfriend." She introduced.

"Pleased to meet you, although I would appreciate it if you didn't harass our sensei." Kaoru stated at the same time as Akane yelled; "You're his _**girlfriend**_?!" I remained silent, wordlessly assessing the woman in front of me.

Anko seemed unaffected as she regarded the two boys with an amused smirk. "You know, Izaya, they really do seem like your kids. Especially the pink one." She noted, pointing at me as she nibbled on her dango.

I gritted my teeth in annoyance at her statement. Before she could blink, I leaned across the table and flicked one of her dumplings off the stick then quickly sat down and pulled out my senbon, smoothly catching the small sweet and bringing it to my mouth.

I looked up and noticed sensei's raised eyebrow. "She called me a child." I grumbled under my breath. I was startled by the loud, boisterous laughter which came from the woman and as she calmed down, she reached over to ruffle my hair, but I quickly dodged her hand and settled even deeper into the chair I sat in.

"She's feisty. I like her." She commented to Izaya-sensei before she turned to me. "What's your name, kid?" she asked.

"Sakura Haruno." I replied, still frowning. "And I would like it if you stopped calling me 'kid'. It's annoying."

"Sure, whatever you want, _kid." _Anko teased and I restrained the urge to pout. All the while, the rest of my team watched the exchange between the two of us, and when we were done, Akane pointed an accusing finger at Izaya-sensei.

"Why don't you say anything? If I did that, you would've told me to run ten laps around our Training grounds!" he yelled in indignation, his bottom lip jutting out.

Before sensei could reply, Kaoru, having sensed a way to annoy Akane, jumped in. "Hey, sensei, who do you like better, me or Akane?" he asked innocently.

"You. No contest." Izaya-sensei replied easily.

"Hey, Izaya, you can't pick favourites between your kids." Anko mock-chastised, but she was visibly amused by the situation.

"He's not my kid. He's not even my dog. If I had a dog, and that dog had a kid, and that kid had a _pet_, _that_ would be Akane." Sensei replied, also grinning.

Kaoru and I chuckled while Akane sulked in the corner. Suddenly, the redhead bounced back. "And what about Sakura? Who is she?" he asked, confident in his victory.

"Sakura? Sakura is my student, of course." He responded, making Akane deflate and return to sulking.

The banter went on for a good few hours, however, the more I learned about Anko the more I suspected she was hiding something. But I was too absorbed in the conversation and how nice it was to be spending time with my team to act upon that suspicion.

* * *

It was the third of July, the warm morning sun was shining on the village, and since Team 13 had no missions today, I decided to seek out a certain brunette for a nice spar and birthday wishes. Arriving at our usual training spot, I was not surprised to see the Hyuuga sitting in the lotus position, eyes closed and meditating. That boy lived by a strict schedule which he followed with the conviction of a madman, which made it easy to locate him once I memorised said schedule.

"Is there anything in particular you want, or are you going to stand behind that tree for the rest of the day?" his annoyed voice drifted over to me, and I walked into the clearing to sit beside him.

"God, Neji, so early in the morning and you're already so grumpy? What the hell happened?" I asked, frowning. A grumpy Neji was an unpleasant Neji, and that meant trouble for whoever disturbed him.

"Uncle Hiashi and the Elders happened." He grumbled as he finally opened his eyes and turned to face me. "They wished to… _properly _celebrate my birthday." He complained.

I realised that I could never fully appreciate that day when we had stumbled upon each other, yet I was glad that we had. I knew I was the only one who got to see the relaxed, _human _side of Neji, and Kami-sama only knew how much that boy needed to relax.

"Well, since you're so annoyed with traditional celebrations, how about you try it my style? And answering your previous question, all I wanted is to give the birthday-boy his gift and wish him happy birthday." I said innocently. "And… perhaps a spar, if you're up for it." I added for good measure.

The brunette smirked and rose gracefully, and it was only then that I noticed he was wearing formal robes instead of his usual ninja outfit. So much for the spar.

Unperturbed, I simply nodded and fell into step with him, swiftly retrieving the gift I had prepared for him from my pouch. "There, happy birthday, Neji-chan." I said, looking anywhere but at him. We both knew I wasn't one for kindness or thoughtfulness, and I silently prayed he could just appreciate by out-of-character gesture.

Luckily, the Hyuuga didn't say anything and set to unwrapping the package. After a few seconds, he pulled out a small black leather bag. He turned it around in his hands and froze. I watched, curious of his reaction; on the side, there was a golden embroidered bird cage, empty, its' doors hanging on one hinge, the bird was a few centimetres away from the cage, its' wings outstretched, and, if birds could look happy, that bird would've been ecstatic. Directly below the flying bird, in small, neat cursive, there were the words '_Take control of your destiny before somebody else does'. _It was always a reason for argument between us, him with his talk of destiny and me religiously denying everything he said.

He glanced up at me, amused and… _appreciative_? "You never do things halfway, do you?" he snorted.

"Open it." I said simply, avoiding his question. He did, and lightly pulled the drawstring open, and his forehead creased in a frown as he stared at its contents. He looked at me questioningly, before sticking his finger inside. When he pulled it out, it was covered in lime-green powder. "Poison." I stated. "You're a fan of subtlety; a tiny bit of this is enough to bring down even the best of the best, whether added to their drink or inhaled." I explained. His expression remained unreadable, but there was a small spark of _something _in his eyes, before he shook his head as if chasing away an annoying thought and faced me.

"Thank you." He said, and I was surprised at the sincerity of his words. Just for a moment, his eyes lost their guarded look, his face softened, and for the first time I saw him as the troubled twelve-year-old he really was. But then, the cold, self-assured look returned and he was once again the Neji I knew. "I'm going to take you up on that spar, but first, you're coming to the Hyuuga compound with me. Uncle asked me to invite you over for dinner." He stated, not a hint of question in his voice.

I stared at his retreating back, surprised beyond belief. "Well?" he turned to face me, the familiar smirk back on his face as he attacked the bag to his belt. "Are you coming or not?"

I shook my head to clear my mind and jogged to catch up with him.

_This will certainly be interesting…_

* * *

**Well, hope you liked it. The next chapter is where the **_**real **_**story begins so stay tuned!**

**And REVIEW please! Your views motivate me!**

**Love, **

**Invincible Shadow**


	11. Responsibility

**Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews!**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

When Neji had invited me to dinner, I asked that we make a detour to my house so I could change into more formal attire. Although Neji had grumbled a bit at the extended route, he too agreed that a first impression counted a lot when it came to his uncle. Once at my house, I instructed Neji to stay in the living room while I raided my wardrobe in search of a suitable kimono. Fifteen minutes later, I had donned a simple white kimono with a silver obi and lining, and, after fighting with my hair for a few seconds, I managed to twist it into a fairly presentable braid. Having decided to leave my kunai pouch behind, I had to stuff some of my trustworthy weapons into inconspicuous places in my outfit _just in case. _Once I was ready, I left my room and went to collect Neji, and I was amused to find him examining the various scrolls and souvenirs I had collected from our missions to different shinobi countries.

"We had only just had our first C-Rank, and that was to Suna." He stated, with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Well, we'd already established I'm cooler than you, so it's only fair I get better missions." I teased.

He smirked, but didn't reply, instead turning to face me. I watched as he took in my appearance, anxiously waiting for a verdict. I don't know what I expected to hear, but it definitely wasn't the simple; "Hn. White suits you." Before he turned on his heel and left the house.

With the only option left being follow him, I swallowed my surprise and ran, as fast as I could while being careful to not rip my kimono, to catch up with him.

"So, what should I expect?" I asked, masking my nervousness with curiosity.

Neji seemed to ponder the question before he answered. "Uncle will probably try to question your abilities, so try not to kill him when he underestimates you. He'll probably ask about your family… then I don't know."

I considered his answer, without making any promises. It all depended on how the Hyuuga head would go about those questions – if it was merely to state his curiosity, then fine, but if the point would be to degrade me, then I would get angry.

I was shaken out of my thoughts by Neji gripping my elbow, informing me that we had arrived. I looked around in slight awe as the brunette by my side nodded at the guards; inside the walls that separated it from the bustling streets outside, the compound was very quiet and peaceful, and I silently admired the beautiful gardens and the small ponds and training grounds. There were two buildings separated by the gardens in the middle; one a two-floor construction which stretched across the inner walls, and the other, a ground-floor building, obviously less grand than the main one, and I got the memo that one was the Main House, and the other the Branch House.

Neji led me into the bigger building, and I followed him as he took me through the many corridors until he finally stopped by the shoji doors. Giving me one last glance, he slid the doors to the side and walked in, with me on his heels.

"Haruno-san, glad you could make it." The deep voice of Hiashi Hyuuga greeted me. I took a moment to take in my surroundings; apart from Neji and I, there were also two other girls, one about my age or younger, and a couple of Elders.

I bowed. "The pleasure is all mine, Hyuuga-sama. Thank you for inviting me." I greeted.

The Clan Head nodded and motioned for us to sit on the cushions provided. While we waited for the meal to be brought in, I waited for the man to begin his game of twenty questions.

"So, Haruno-san, how long have you been a genin for?" _Bingo._

"Two years, Hiashi-sama. Also, if you wouldn't mind, I would prefer to be called Sakura." I answered politely.

Hiashi just nodded again. "I heard that your team has been on many challenging missions, the most recent one being an A-Rank, if I'm correct?" that seemed to spark the younger girl's interest as she looked up. I nodded. "How did your team handle it?"

"I would say quite well. All of us came out uninjured and alive." I replied, curious as to where he was headed.

"But you had failed the official objective of the mission – your client ended up dead."

_Bastard. You want to play dirty? Fine. _

"The client's death was not due to my team's incompetence, but rather to the fact that he had lied about what kind of people were after him. I was not willing to sacrifice my teammates' lives for that of a deceitful man who valued money more than his life." I declared, the tone of finality in my voice. I saw Neji trying to resist the urge to face-palm, instead settling for an exasperated sigh.

The Hyuuga regarded me for a few seconds, before he nodded, as if agreeing to something he thought. "I see." I was tempted to say 'that's it?' but resisted. I didn't want to push my luck.

Instead, I asked; "Although it's a great honour and pleasure to be here, I must ask, why have you invited me, Hyuuga-sama?" on my left, Neji perked up and it seemed like the same question had plagued his mind as well.

"As Neji's guardian and uncle, I have the responsibility to review all of his potential female suitors, in order to choose the best match for him."

I saw Neji choke on his tea and I resisted the urge to sputter indignantly at the suggestion. "Hyuuga-sama! Neji and I-! We're not romantically involved! Our relationship is purely platonic!" I exclaimed, horrified at the mere notion, at the same time as Neji protested with a slightly more dignified;

"We're just training partners! I do not wish to court her! She's like a sister!"

I never thought either of us capable of _blushing_, but I could feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment just as clearly as I could see the pink tint that settled over Neji's cheeks and ears.

The Hyuuga Head regarded us with faint amusement. "Is that so?" he asked calmly.

"Yes!" we cried in unison, still trying to avoid looking at each other.

Hiashi merely continued sipping his tea. "I see." He said after a moment.

An awkward, albeit relieved silence settled in the room.

* * *

That had been my very first, but definitely not last visit to the Hyuuga compound. A year had passed since then, and my life fell into an easy routine; go on missions with my team, train every morning, go to the dango café with Anko once a week, unless one of us was away on a mission, train with Neji, spend some quality-time with my teammates, and then, Sunday evening would have me going to the Hyuuga compound for dinner with Neji and his cousins, occasionally joined by Hiashi-sama himself – I had become a frequent visitor, so I was easily admitted in by the guards.

In short, a lot of things had changed during the last year, but a lot of them also stayed the same; Team 13 had acquired few more nicknames, ranging from 'Team Troublemaker' to 'Team Prodigy', but one which amused the three of us to no end was 'Demon Siblings'. Someone must've seen how comfortable we are around each other, and how effective our teamwork had become, which made it seem like we were siblings. The 'demon' part probably came for the levels of destruction we were known to bring whenever we sparred or discovered something that annoyed/hurt/insulted us.

Our missions had also become more challenging; our record now consisted of 78 missions, nine of which were A-Ranks. We definitely broke the record of 'life-threatening missions taken by genin' – I had almost missed the D-Ranks we used to take.

At the moment, I was heading to our training grounds, wondering about what kind of genjutsu Kaoru would try to trap me in this time. As I arrived, I was met with the sight of Akane and Kaoru sparring, but it seemed that the brunette had been taken off-guard as he was laying on his back, trying to wrestle the redhead off of him with little success.

"Would you like some help, Kaoru?" I asked teasingly as I walked over to where they laid.

At the sound of my voice, Akane sprang to his feet and hugged me, completely forgetting about the pissed off brunette he'd been wrestling with.

"Sakura-chan!" he sang happily as he lifted me up and spun me around in circles.

"OK, enough." I commanded and whacked him over the head, to which he nodded and let me down.

"Shall we spar?" I asked after Kaoru had picked himself off of the ground.

"Yeah. I need to get my revenge." The brunette replied, glaring at Akane who stuck his tongue out in response.

I sighed. This was going to get messy.

* * *

A few hours later, we were joined by sensei who arrived dramatically, waving his arms in the air. "OK, my little ducklings, stop fighting now, we have a mission!" he tossed the scroll to Kaoru while he narrowly avoided a hug from Akane.

"Now, hurry and go pack, we're leaving in half an hour!"

"Actually, sensei," Kaoru interrupted, "I think you'll find that only the three of us are leaving." The brunette declared.

"Huh?" sensei asked intelligently. "What do you mean, Kaoru-chan?"

The tall teen turned the scroll around and pointed at the bottom paragraph. "You're needed at the borders. Since this only a C-Rank, we can easily handle it ourselves." He explained.

"Aw, but that's so boring…" sensei whined, and it was so alike Akane that I snorted.

"Come on, Izaya-sensei. When you're done, I promise I'll treat you to ramen." I offered, and his face immediately brightened up.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan! Now, shoo, the three of you, you've got a mission to complete!"

* * *

The mission was so painfully simple that we were back in less than six hours, and were on our way to the Hokage to give in our report. Once we were done, he told us to go to the borders to dismiss our sensei, since during the time we were gone a small battalion of Kumo shinobi attacked the East border, where sensei had been fighting.

When we arrived, it turned out the situation was much more serious than I had predicted – there were a lot of wounded, and it took a few seconds to locate the spiky blac mob of hair that belonged to our sensei. He was fighting three Kumo nins on his own, doing really well, since a few seconds later they were taken down, and he was moving on to the next ninja, but what he failed to notice was the masked man coming up behind him.

I tried to shout, to warn him somehow, but it seemed like my throat had clogged up and my body refused to move. I could only watch in horror as the ninja unsheathed his sword, and, with painful accuracy, pierced it through sensei's back.

* * *

They saw as their sensei, with dramatic slowness, looked down at his feet. A sword, no, a _katana_ at least five feet long was protruding from his stomach, the blade bloodied, the tip dripping purple. Blood bubbled from his lips as the ninja behind him twisted the katana which was still sticking out of him.

They saw as his eyes began to glaze over.

"_**NO!**_"

Startled, the boys looked to their side where their teammate had been, only to realise she wasn't there. They heard a snarl and felt the familiar chakra signature spike furiously – Sakura had abandoned their side and ran to the man whose sword was still lodged in their sensei. She easily dislodged the man's hold on his weapon and literally threw her sensei away, trusting them to catch him. Kaoru did and immediately knelt down, laying his sensei out on the ground for Akane to heal, while he gazed with a horrified expression at his female teammate.

The rosette's eyes blazed with fury and unadulterated hatred as she glared at the man, lips pulled back in a beastly snarl. It was the first time Kaoru had seen her so angry and it frightened him. His eyes widened at how quickly the man went down, his skull smashed into smithereens. But his teammate didn't stop there; she danced across the entire clearing, destroying everything in her path, and earning a lot of cuts and scratches herself. A few seconds later, all that was left on the field were the corpses of the enemy ninja, and the stupefied Konoha shinobi. All eyes were on the petite pinkette with blood on her hands, but she ignored them all as she walked towards their fallen sensei.

As she drew closer, Kaoru noticed that the fury in her eyes had faded. In fact, everything had faded. Her eyes were blank, expressionless; _lifeless_.

She gazed down at the unmoving body of the man she'd come to know as her father in everything but blood. The anger and pain she felt a few minutes earlier was gone, and she felt numb.

"U-Um, he's still alive, but in a comatose state. I've healed the wound, but, this poison… it's so complex. I've never seen it before, I doubt the hospital has either. Until they find the antidote, we're… on our own." Akane summarised nervously, frantically wiping at his tears.

"So he's as good as dead, then. We were too late." Sakura stated bluntly, her face devoid of expression.

"N-No!" Akane spluttered. "Don't say that! And how can you be so… OK with this?!" he exclaimed.

The rosette gazed at him apathetically. "He's the third person who's left me without even saying goodbye." She looked at the sky, the bright sun mocking her grief. "The only way I can prevent myself from getting hurt again is by detaching myself from him. From you. From everything."

Before they could object, the rosette disappeared in a swirl of leaves, pulling off a swift transportation jutsu without so much as making a hand-seal.

The two boys exchanged worried glances, tears streaking their cheeks, wordlessly coming to an agreement that they should let the rosette be. For now.

* * *

I fled from the scene, but I did not want to go home. It held too many memories of the last time somebody had abandoned me. Although I felt numb to the pain, the fact that another person had slipped through my fingers still hurt. I ended up by the river and collapsed to my knees, my back against a tree. Sobs shook my body, and I allowed myself to cry, to shed the tears I had refused to shed for so long.

I had grown to care for my team, for Akane, for Kaoru, for Izaya-sensei. Now, having one of them ripped from me tore my heart into shreds, making my pain-filled sobs turn into animalistic howls of despair. All the emotion, the loneliness, the _agony _I kept bottled inside of me bubbled to the surface, and I found myself rocking back and forth, wishing this had never happened to me, that I had never become a ninja-

No.

**No.**

I will not allow myself to wallow in self-pity. To drown in my grief. I had gotten through my mother's death and became a ninja; I had gotten through my father's death and came out stronger. I will get through my sensei's… _absence _as well.

With that new mind-set, I drew in all the pain, despair and grief into myself, locking it in a cage in the deep recesses of my mind and throwing away the key. A blissful feeling of ignorance and numbness overtook my senses. I was going to make sure nothing like would _ever_ happen. I was going to be even stronger. I was going to train until I dropped, then get up and train some more.

I set off home, the determination pushing the grief to the back of my mind.

_All I need is the power to be able to protect my comrades. And I will stop at nothing to achieve it._

* * *

It had been a week since Izaya had been admitted into a comatose state, and nobody had seen the petite rosette since. Akane and Kaoru were starting to get seriously worried.

"It's like she's completely disappeared off the surface of the earth!" Akane exclaimed, pulling at his hair in frustration. "No one in the _whole freaking village _had seen her!"

"Calm down, Akane." The brunette instructed, though he too was concerned about his teammate's fate. "I think we should go visit her house." He concluded. The redhead nodded and fell into step with his taller friend, easily finding the pace that suited them both. On the way to Sakura's house, Kaoru decided to stop at the dango store to purchase some of the rosette's favourite sweets 'for consolation'.

Neither mentioned it, but both boys felt that they would find their teammate curled up and crying, still grieving for their sensei; which was why, when they finally arrived, they were surprised to find the front door open and the house empty.

"She's not here." Akane pointed out the obvious.

Kaoru nodded, but went inside regardless. Akane followed after him, but stopped dead when he took in the inside; every surface was covered with a thin layer of dust, and everything was so meticulously organised that not one book or scroll or cushion was out of place. In short, the house looked unused and uninhabited.

"This is creepy…" the redhead whispered. "It's like she doesn't live here anymore."

"She does." The brunette disagreed. "Look at this." He pointed to a closed door to his left; the only surface which wasn't covered by dust. "Do you think we should…?"

"Yeah." Akane cleared his throat and added. "Go ahead."

Carefully, Kaoru extended his arm and wrapped his hand around the knob, casting one last, questioning glance at the redhead, who nodded. Slowly, the teen moved his hand and turned the knob, almost fully and then-

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Both boys jumped away from the door as if it had burned them, heads snapping in the direction of the voice. Sakura sat on the previously empty coach, one leg crossed the other, gazing at them with curious eyes and the corner of her lips turned up slightly in amusement, but otherwise her face was completely expressionless.

"S-Sakura!" Akane stammered, his heart beating a mile a minute.

"Yes?" the rosette in question quirked an eyebrow expectantly, the amused half-smirk never leaving her face.

"What- why-! Why does your house look like you haven't lived in it for ages?!" the redhead accused.

"Because I haven't." Sakura replied blankly. At very intelligent 'huh?' that came from the redhead she elaborated. "I've been staying at Neji's for the last week."

Now it was Kaoru's turn to frown. "What were you staying at the Hyuuga's house for?" but the rosette ignored him as her eyes zeroed in on the brown bag clutched in the brunette's hand. A second later, Kaoru felt like an unknown weight had been lifted off of him and looked down in confusion only to realise that the paper bag was no longer in his hand. He looked up again and noticed that Sakura, who stood in the same place as five seconds before, was currently rifling through said bag, forehead creased in a light frown, before she pulled out a dango stick and shoved it in her mouth.

For a few seconds, Kaoru just looked back and forth at his hand, then at Sakura, then back again, before he shook his head and sighed. Akane was a lot more obvious about his surprise as he was outwardly gaping, his jaw slack, staring at the relaxed rosette with a mixture of awe and horror.

_W-What the hell was that?! I thought we were finally getting used to her ridiculous speed! So how-! I don't think she even moved!_

Sakura paused in devouring the dango and looked up at them, a curious expression on her face. "Is something the matter?" she asked calmly.

"We wanted to know… how you were coping with sensei's, uh…" Kaoru trailed off, unsure how to finish.

"Absence?" the rosette asked absent-mindedly. "Quite well… or, at least, better than before." The rosette's tone was final and left no room for further questions.

Kaoru, having sensed that there were some things his petite teammate wished to keep a secret, nodded and smiled instead. "Would you like to spar?"

And seeing that tiny smile break through her emotionless façade was worth leaving his curiosity unstated.

* * *

A week later, Team 13 had returned to active duty, a fact which was almost immediately taken advantage of.

"Seriously, what does the old man want from us _this _time?" Akane groaned tiredly, annoyed at having to wake up at the crack of dawn.

"We won't know until we see for ourselves, so stop complaining." Kaoru pacified the redhead.

When we finally arrived at the Office, Akane sported a fist-sized bruise on his left cheek. The Hokage let us in, and I was surprised to see the old man alone, without the Elders behind him.

"Team 13, I'm assigning you a very important mission, currently a B-Rank, but with the possibility of spiralling out into an A-Rank or higher. Do you accept?"

After a chorus of 'hai's, he went into detail. "One of the rookie genin teams was just sent on their first C-Rank mission. Their sensei, Kakashi Hatake sent a distress signal and a request for back-up. They have just encountered the Demon Brothers, who were after their assignment; a civilian bridge builder, and he thinks there might be more dangerous people after them the closer they get to Wave Country. He doesn't want to put his genin under threat. Your assignment is to-"

"Get rid of those threats, right, Hokage-sama?" Akane cut in, grinning madly. When the Hokage nodded, a hint of a smile playing at his lips, the redhead whooped in joy.

"Your mission begins as soon as you're ready. Pack for a good couple of weeks. Here's the scroll. Dismissed!"

* * *

We were ready sooner than expected, packs on our backs and grins of various sizes on our faces. This mission was going to be very interesting, I could feel it.

"Let's go! We've got some serious ass-kicking to do!" Akane cheered, and was already pushing off into a run, but the brunette dragged him back by the back of his collar.

"Baka. Remember to stick to the plan. That means, no more fooling around, and listen to Sakura – she's the team's captain for this mission. Do you understand?" Kaoru demanded, playfully shaking the redhead in the air.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, Kaoru-chan! Now, let me down!" Akane whined miserably. The brunette complied, an amused smirk on his face.

I smiled slightly at their antics. "Let's go. We still need to catch up to them." I said softly. "Don't fall behind, Akane." I ordered, though my tone was teasing.

"Sure, sure." He grumbled in response, and soon enough, we were running through the trees, the scenery blurring past.

We travelled in silence for a few hours, the only sounds being the bird song and the rhythm of our feet touching then pushing off the branches. Suddenly, Kaoru tensed beside me, seconds before I sensed it as well – the massive, impossible to miss trace of chakra, spreading a good few hundred feet across, and even reaching the water. As we got closer, the tell-tale sounds of voices reached our ears, and I could see three genin through the branches of the trees.

_We've arrived._

* * *

**Phew. That took a while. **

**Firstly, sorry for the break – I got snowed in (in ENGLAND!) and the internet just disappeared. But it's here now, and so is the chapter!**

**Please tell me what you think~!**

**If some of you think Sakura's moodswings were a bit too random, tell me in your review or a PM and I'll try my best to explain them.**

**I'm sorry for Izaya-sensei – his… disappearance was necessary to move the plot along. But he's not dead, I promise you! That was just Sakura's negative thinking.**

**On another note, the next chapter introduces Team 7! How do you think it'll go down?**

**Don't forget to REVIEW! They really motivate me to write more!**

**Love,  
Invincible Shadow.**


	12. Disbelief

**Thank you all for the fantastic reviews I got for the last chapter! I kept looking back at them for motivation when this chapter wasn't cooperating like I wanted it too. Also, the question of Sakura's age came up once again: for any of you who are curious – she is currently ten-years-old. And therefore, **_**two**_** years younger than the Konoha Rookies, **_**three**_** years younger than Neji and **_**four **_**years younger than Kaoru and Akane.**

**Hope this clears up all misunderstandings!**

**~Enjoy!**

* * *

We moved out of the branches and closer to the clearing by which the other gennin stood. I saw the Great Copy Ninja Kakashi facing down another ninja; one I had seen so many times in my bingo book; Zabuza Momoichi. From where we stood, it looked like the Copy Ninja was winning… but something was wrong. I scanned the field with my chakra, and stifled a gasp – there were _six_ signatures, but I could only see five people. Not even a second after my discovery, two senbon needles sent out of nowhere pierced through Zabuza's neck. Everyone present looked up in search of the owner of the needles.

A small figure stood on the branch opposite where the pair had been. He wore the mask of the Kirigakure Hunter Ninja.

"Something's off." Akane muttered beside me, staring intently at the fallen missing-nin. I kept my eyes on the Copy Ninja as he knelt down to check his pulse, then got up again, apparently not finding it.

I watched the blond kid throw a tantrum at how unfair it was, and I realised that we had just missed a battle. Straining slightly to hear what his sensei said in response, I frowned when I heard his words;

"In this world there are kids who are younger than you… but stronger than me." I ignored the knowing look Kaoru sent me at that statement.

Suddenly, the hunter-nin disappeared from the branch and appeared by Zabuza's side. "Forgive me. I must now go and dispose of the corpse. It's a body filled with secrets." His soft voice barely reached my ears, but I still heard them.

I frowned. "Don't hunter-nin normally dispose of the body on the battlefield?" I asked, curious.

"That's it!" Akane suddenly exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "I know what was off before – the position of his needles – they hit pressure points; he's not really dead!"

The three of us exchanged horrified glances as the meaning of his words registered.

_A fake._

Immediately, we jumped down from our hiding spot, and Akane hurried in the direction of the three ninja. "Don't let him leave! He's not a real hunter-nin, just a-!" but he was too late as the fake hunter-nin had already disappeared in a whirl of leaves. I paid little attention to the shell-shocked gennin and bridge builder, instead scouting the area to see if he was still around somewhere, but it was a false hope.

I returned to my teammates, shaking my head. "They're gone. Though, I'm not really surprised." I sighed.

"Hey, don't worry Sakura-chan. We'll get them eventually." Akane consoled me, and I offered a weak smile at his efforts.

However, it seemed as if the shock had worn off the gennin as the loud blonde exploded, "Just who the hell are _you_?!" he demanded.

I noticed Kaoru wince beside me. "Aish, kid, have some respect for my eardrums." He grumbled, massaging his head. "Here." Akane offered, reaching out with his hand to the brunette's temples, the soft green chakra soothing his headache, both completely ignoring the raging blonde.

Oh, so they were leaving me to do the talking, huh?

I turned to the Copy Nin, also ignoring the obnoxious blonde. "We're your back-up." I stated matter-of-factly, but it seemed that the gennin took pleasure in interrupting us, and did so before the man could reply.

"Back-up?" The Uchiha hissed indignantly. "We didn't call for any _back-up_." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his attitude.

"Perhaps _you_ didn't, Uchiha, but your sensei _did_." I replied, unaffected by his anger. "Now, if you'll excuse us, your sensei and I need to talk about how to get rid of an S-Rank missing-nin that's currently after your assignment." I said coolly, turning my back to him.

But it seemed that the Copy Nin took that exact moment to suddenly collapse, freaking his students out even more. Immediately, the blonde was in front of me pointing an accusing finger at my face. "What did you do to Kakashi-sensei?!" he shouted angrily.

"She didn't do anything." Akane said calmly, kneeling beside the fallen ninja. I saw the blond jump in shock – apparently he hadn't heard Akane coming. "He was simply too exhausted due to overusing his Sharingan."

I stifled a laugh at the redhead's cocky tone – I rarely saw it anymore, and it was really amusing when it wasn't directed at me. Regaining my composure, I turned to the bridge-builder with a raised eyebrow. "What's your name?" I inquired coolly.

I saw his eyes widen when he saw how young I was. "Kami above, you're just a kid!" he cried, shocked. This time I _did_ roll my eyes.

"I don't see how that matters." I replied pointedly. "Now, back to my previous question."

"My name's Tazuna. I'm a bridge builder." I nodded, easily formulating a plan in my mind – after all, we still had a mission to complete.

"Right." I turned to address the gennin. "Since your sensei is down, I'm in charge. Now, we're going to impose on Tazuna-san's hospitality, at least until he recovers, and then my team will leave you to do your job while we do ours and seek out Zabuza and his side-kick." I stated, not leaving space for any arguments. Or so I thought.

"And why should _we_ follow _your_ plan?" the Uchiha asked snidely, sneering at me.

"Sasuke-kun!" the girl behind him gasped, surprised at his tone. I ignored her, turning my full attention to the brat.

"You should follow my plan, Uchiha," I started coldly, my eyes boring into him, "Because it's the only plan that is guaranteed to save your sorry little ass and get both of our missions done." I finished.

The blonde gaped, his jaw slack and eyes wide, while the Uchiha looked like I had just spat at him.

"Why you-! You're just a brat." He hissed, glaring at me.

"Perhaps, but I have more experience out in the field than the three of you combined." I motioned at each of the genin individually. "Which, in turn, makes me _superior_ to _you_. Since you're fresh out of the Academy, I trust you remember Rule Sixteen? '_A shinobi must always follow their superior'_?" I asked rhetorically.

"Actually, it's '_A shinobi must never question their_-!" the brunette girl interrupted, but was cut short by the Uchiha's hiss of "Shut up, Hikari." He turned to me. "You're _**not**_ my superior."

Now I was getting irritated. "Be quiet." I said coldly, my words coming out exactly like I wanted them to; threatening and final. "I could _crush_ you, Uchiha." I continued, my voice venomous. "I could crush you and _break_ you and stomp all over your pretty little face until you'd _beg_ me to stop. And I _**will**_, if you don't shut up, swallow your pride and do as you're told. Understood?" I hissed at the end, making sure to punctuate my statement with a shot of killing intent.

A hand rested on my shoulder, and I didn't have to look up to know it was Kaoru who came to calm me down. Kami only knew how he did it. "That's enough, Sakura-chan. You've scarred him enough."

Indeed, the Uchiha was shaking, and looked ready to puke, but at least he took my words to heart and quietened down. I turned to the bridge-builder who was staring at me with a horrified expression.

I smiled slightly, laughing internally when he winced. "Lead the way, Tazuna-san. We're right behind you."

* * *

Once we arrived at Tazuna-san's house, I commanded the little genin to get some rest, studiously ignoring the glares and angry mutters. I didn't care; it was easier for us if they slept and regained their energy than if we had to deal with a group of exhausted genin while trying to run away from enemy ninja. We switched guard every three hours so that each of us got at least _some _sleep. Even so, I couldn't relax – this mission was turning out to be a lot like our first one, the only difference being that their sensei had the sense to call for back-up at the last possible moment.

I wondered how it would end…

Sometime during my musings, I had dozed off into a light sleep, so I didn't even notice when the sun rose over the horizon – we had insisted on sleeping outside in our tents, not too keen to venture into the already-crowded house. I was therefore startled awake by the sound of somebody unzipping my tent and crawling inside, followed by a light shake of my shoulder.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, wakey-wakey." Akane's voice penetrated the air. "Tazuna invited us in for breakfast; apparently the brats' sensei had woken up and is demanding an explanation."

I groaned and sat up, wiping at my eyes. "Tell him to wait." I grumbled, not ready to deal with people so early in the morning.

"He says he'd already waited enough…" the redhead mumbled, unsure of what my reaction would be.

"Then tell him that patience is a virtue! I don't give a crap if he has to wait another ten years!" I hissed irritably, not happy to hear that the man whose ass we had saved was complaining after he'd left us to deal with the brats he called his pupils.

"OK, OK. I'll tell Kaoru to pacify him for a little longer." Akane relented and I nodded gratefully, stretching my back until I heard a satisfying 'crack!' that made the redhead wince and mumble something that sounded only like '_Geez, creepy child'_ before he crawled out. I made sure I was presentable before I followed his example and got out; after various stretches and katas, as well as some simple chakra control exercises, I was ready to deal with the brats. At that moment, I didn't care about the fact that some weird man wanted my presence, regardless of the fact that said man was the great Copy-Cat Ninja Kakashi Hatake.

I was a little uneasy as I entered the house and headed to the kitchen, where I could hear voices coming from. As I walked in, the conversation quietened and all eyes turned to me.

"Good morning, Tazuna-san and…?" I trailed off, looking at the lady and the little kid beside her.

"My name is Tsunami and this is Inari." The pretty woman replied with a smile and I forced one on in response.

"Tsunami-san and Inari-kun. I thank you for your hospitality." I bowed, before turning to the gennin team, once again ignoring the blonde's stupefied look after seeing the 'polite' side of me. I fought the urge to scoff.

"Hatake-san. Glad to see you're feeling better." I nodded at the man, keeping my face carefully blank.

"Likewise." He responded, scrutinising me with his one visible eye. So, he didn't trust me. Interesting. "I hear you took care of my students?" he asked, though I could see he was testing me.

"I wouldn't say 'took care of'. _Some_ of your students are far too proud to listen to simple instructions." I replied, casting a subtle glance in the Uchiha's direction.

"Hm. I would say they were simply surprised by your… appearance." I frowned distastefully, the implication behind his words blatantly obvious.

"They should know that age does not define one's ability." I stated coldly, getting more and more annoyed as he smiled at me.

"Even so. I would like to speak to your sensei, if that's not a problem." Immediately, the temperature in the room dropped down a good ten degrees. I froze, and Hatake must've sensed he was treading in dangerous waters as he said no more, instead continued assessing me with that judgemental eye of his.

I took a breath, attempting to control my rapid heartbeat, but it proved futile. Kaoru must've noticed as well as he subtly edged himself between me and the jounin.

"I fear that's impossible, as our sensei is not here with us." He stated politely, yet his words held a note of finality.

"Your sensei isn't here?!" the blonde shrieked. "Is that even allowed?" he yelled, jealousy evident in his tone.

"Lord Hokage knows we're more than capable to take high-rank missions without assistance. We've been gennin for two years, after all." I replied quietly, the formality of the words somehow calming my fraying nerves. When I was sure my voice wouldn't break, and after I had pushed the memories of our sensei lying motionless on the ground to the deep, dark recesses of my mind, I allowed the confident mask to steal over my face once again.  
I was finally able to take pleasure in the gennin's shell-shocked expressions.

"T-Two years?" the only girl on the team stuttered, her eyes as wide as saucers. "B-But, you're younger than me!" she pointed her finger at me, almost accusingly.

"Yes, so?" I drawled, already bored with the conversation.

"The Academy graduation age is twelve!" she exploded.

"Nuh-uh." Akane disagreed, grinning. "When some children prove truly exceptional, they may graduate earlier than others – Sakura-chan was one of them and joined our team when she was eight." He explained, visibly gloating.

"That makes you ten years old." The girl stated, and I realised that the math, like it had to me, had made her slightly calmer.

"That's correct." I replied easily, smirking lightly. "And it's also the main reason I expect you to do what I tell you to." My smirk grew when she shrunk back in her seat, and I sent a meaningful glance at the Uchiha.

"Hah, I see there's quite a lot I missed while I was gone." Kakashi attempted to break the steely silence that had stolen over the room.

"Yeah! That chick literally jumped on Sasuke-teme, going all crazy on him! She's scary!" the blonde, whose name I learnt was Naruto, accused, jumping at the opportunity.

"She didn't jump anyone!" Akane defended me. "It's his fault for being a jerk!"

Kaoru and I sighed in unison, leaving the two idiots to their argument as we sat down and thanked Tsunami-san for the meal. This was going to be one hell of a long mission.

* * *

After breakfast, I found a nice spot on the roof and stayed there as I watched the group of gennin prepare for what their sensei had ambitiously called 'training'. I scoffed when I realised he was talking about the tree-climbing exercise, but my eyes widened when the gennin hung onto his every word, obviously hearing about this for the first time.

"What is this? Are they serious?" I muttered in disbelief, still staring wide-eyed at the scene below me.

"Not everyone can be like you, Sakura-chan." Kaoru's voice came from behind me, and I stayed silent as I felt him settle down beside me. "These children attended the Academy, yes, but they were sheltered from the _real_ ninja world for much longer than us. I can bet this is their first mission outside of the village." He continued thoughtfully.

"…Why do you always have to be the voice of reason?" I muttered quietly, only half-joking.

He chuckled. "I just am. You up for a spar?"

I grinned, and jumped off the roof, landing gracefully on the ground below. "Well? I'm waiting, Kaoru." I called up to him.

"Waiting for what?" Akane asked as he suddenly popped up beside me, swiftly moving out of the way as Kaoru landed where he had stood just a few seconds earlier.

"A spar." I explained. "By the river; the first one to get wet loses." I challenged, and their answering smirks were all I needed as confirmation.

* * *

"This isn't working!" Naruto yelled in frustration as he fell on his butt for the umpteenth time. "Stupid tree!"

Hikari, who'd already reached the top branch and now stood beside her sensei frowned at the blonde. "That's because you're doing it wrong, you idiot!" she scolded him, her eyes quickly flickering back to Sasuke, her frown deepening when she realised he wasn't that far ahead of Naruto.

Suddenly, the sound of laughter reached their ears, and they all turned their attention away from the conversation and towards the source. Through the trees they could easily make out the blue of the river, and the three genin running and jumping on top of its surface.

"Looks like our back-up is having fun." Kakashi mused.

"What the-! They're walking on water!" Naruto sputtered, dumbfounded.

"They're _sparring_ on water, dobe." Sasuke corrected easily, but his eyes remained glued to the fighting trio.

"Ah! That's dangerous!" Hikari squeaked as the redhead fired a giant fireball at his teammates, both somehow managing to get out of the way.

Team 7 watched, intrigued, as they continued, making off-handed comments on the jutsus, or gasping in horror at the impossible manoeuvres and techniques they shot at each other. Kakashi's eyes, however, were trained on the rosette's feet – she seemed to _glide_ on the water, and he soon noticed that it was because her feet never lost contact with the water's surface.

_This jutsu had been around for hundreds of years, yet I'd never seen anyone make such acute adjustments to it…_

They all watched as the rosette suddenly disappeared, leaving the brunette and his shorter friend sparring in the middle. The redhead went to attack the other with a kunai, but was easily blocked as the taller boy unsheathed a tanto. They noticed the redhead grin as he kept on putting more pressure on the kunai, until both of the boys' arms were trembling with exhaustion. All of the sudden, the redhead sprung back, and they watched, in awed silence, as the small pinkette appeared in mid-air and drop-kicked the brunette's shoulder, forcing him beneath the water's surface.

The redhead walked towards her and ruffled her hair, saying something they were too far away to catch, but it made the rosette laugh and playfully punch his arm.

As the brunette surfaced, the laughing duo walked towards him and helped him up, the boy dripping wet, but still managing a chuckle as the redhead jumped on his back and shouted a joyful 'You lost, Kaoru-chan!'. Kakashi managed to read the boy's lips as he replied, and chuckled behind his mask at the words; 'No fair. You double-teamed on me. In a fair spar, _you'd_ be the drenched one.'

Both boys laughed, but the rosette's eyes turned watchful and guarded as she scanned the area, and the burning emerald eyes finally connected with his coal black one. All traces of a smile vanished from her face as her eyes narrowed, and Kakashi frowned at the caution and suspicion evident in them. Those were not the eyes a ten-year-old should have.

"That… was amazing." Hikari remarked from behind him, her voice breathless, and his attention suddenly snapped back to his team, all of whom were gazing at the retreating team with varyingly awed expressions.

"Teach us to fight like that, Kaka-sensei! I wanna kick some butt!" Naruto shouted gleefully, and returned to his attempt at tree-climbing with renewed vigour, Sasuke soon joining him.

"You two keep practicing. I've got to check something." Kakashi remarked calmly, giving them his signature eye-smile before disappearing.

* * *

Night soon fell, and Sasuke and Naruto remained in the forest, Hikari occasionally going back to deliver them some food. Kakashi had been trying to find the pinkette for a few hours, but to no avail. It was like she completely disappeared, or masked her chakra, and considering what they'd witnessed not too long ago, he wasn't all that convinced it wasn't the latter.

Finally, he saw her perched on the tree closest to the water, staring with unseeing eyes at the dark surface.

"Is there something you need, Hatake-san?" she asked calmly, and Kakashi wandered if she had some sort of sixth sense or just a really good chakra-sensing ability.

"Actually, there was." He replied light-heartedly, moving to sit beside her. "It's a pretty night, isn't it?" he observed.

"Please get to the point."

Kakashi chuckled and became serious.

"You're not like the others." He stated bluntly. "But even so, that does not explain how you became a gennin so early, or why you look like you're constantly expecting an attack."

Sakura glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke. "I became a genin because I had almost killed my classmate with a forbidden, thought to have been extinct taijutsu style." She explained, her voice devoid of emotion. "As to being constantly on guard… I have seen too many horrors of shinobi life to remain trustworthy, and oblivious enough to believe that just because something seems immoral, the other ninja won't do it."

Kakashi took in her words with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Spar with me." He requested. She arched an eyebrow at his words, but stood up regardless. Forget her age, or his experience; he needed to see with his own eyes.

* * *

An hour later found them panting and in various stages of exhaustion. Sakura was nursing a split lip and a broken wrist, while Kakashi had multiple bruises on his forearms from blocking chakra-enhanced kicks, and a few blocked chakra points.

"Juuken?" he asked curiously, prodding at the blocked point on his collarbone.

"Sharingan?" she replied to his question with one of her own.

He chuckled breathlessly. "Coincidence." He explained vaguely.

"Let's just say I'm friends with a certain Juuken-wielding Hyuuga." She muttered, just as ambiguously.

Sakura knew the Copy-Nin could've easily pinned her down and ended the spar in half-time, but she had also realised he was testing her. For what, she had no idea, but she enjoyed the spar nonetheless, and even gained some respect for the man.

On the other hand, Kakashi was now sure the rumours had more depth to them than he'd previously assumed. If this was her at full power, he belatedly realised that what his team had witnessed by the river was mere child's play. This girl was fully deserving of the title as the '_Captain_ of the Demon Siblings', and her team of said moniker.

"Seems like Konoha has itself a very strong generation of ninja this year." He remarked casually.

"And it seems like the jounin don't just laze around the headquarters drinking sake." She replied, and he chuckled when he realised this was as much of a compliment as he'd ever get from her.

"Mou, we're not that old." He complained.

She smirked at him over her shoulder. "Did anyone say anything about you being old?" she asked mischievously, before she dissolved into the shadows and disappeared from his sight.

When she was gone, Kakashi allowed the grin to slide off his face. _Teasing aside, that really isn't the level _normal_ gennin should be at. _He absent-mindedly rubbed at his still aching shoulder and the chakra points that buzzed in pain. _I'm half-expecting her to suddenly become ANBU and murder her clan…_

He stopped in his tracks and thought about what his mind had just noted as dread began to fill his stomach.

_Actually, there are too many similarities for it to be a coincidence…_

* * *

**Aaaaaand… here it is! I apologise for the longer-than-normal wait, but I had just come back from Paris yesterday! It was so cool!**

**Next chapter will be the meeting at the bridge, so I can guarantee it'll be rather lengthy ;)**

**If there are any things mentioned in this chapter that require clearing up, don't hesitate to mention it in your review or a PM!**

**Hope you enjoyed,**

**Review please!**

**~Invincible Shadow**


	13. Dreams

**Happy Valentines Day!**

**Thank you so much for the reviews I got for the last chapter! I decided to studiously ignore the flame and stick with the positive feedback, I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this so much! Once again, I would like to thank my faithful reviewer DiamondForest, as her reviews always make my day and motivate me. Thanks hun~!**

**Hope you'll like this chapter as much as I liked writing it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

In the morning, I did a quick chakra scan of the house and realised that the obnoxious blonde by the name of Naruto was still not back from his attempt at tree climbing. Sighing, I crawled out of my tent and ventured out into the forest, sending my chakra into the ground to find him. I jogged to the place where his chakra signature was the strongest and almost face-palmed when I saw him sprawled out on the ground, snoring irritably. I resisted the urge to punch his brains out for worrying everyone, as I felt another chakra signature nearby; as payback, I decided to leave the blonde behind since it was mainly because of his stupidity that he was in this vulnerable in the first place.

Seconds after I hid from view in one of the trees that encircled the clearing, a pretty boy with long ebony hair and a flawless pale complexion appeared, his presence somehow stirring the blonde back to life. I frowned, tuning out their conversation as I scrutinised his chakra signature – it seemed… familiar. I tried not to crack up at his last words and Naruto's shell-shocked expression when he found out the pretty feminine-looking teen was, in fact, a _boy_. I decided to leave the blonde and follow the mysterious teen, finally realising what was so familiar about him once I noticed his posture – it was the same as that which I had seen only a few days previous, with the slightly relaxed but still tense way that he held himself.

He was the fake hunter-nin.

Once we were out of the clearing and away from the blonde, who was still unaware of my presence, the teen slowed down, but still did not turn around.

"You can come out now." His soft voice penetrated the silence between us, and I wondered how long he'd known I was there. Not hesitating even for a second, I jumped out of my hiding spot, still preferring to maintain a safe distance between myself and the boy.

"I know who you are." I stated bluntly, never one for pleasantries. To my surprise, he chuckled softly, finally turning around to face me.

"I should have figured. You almost blew my cover that day." He commented, yet his tone was not accusing as I had predicted, and his eyes held no spite in them – on the contrary, they were kind and forgiving, and totally not like those of a ninja.

I frowned.

"Why would you pose as a fake hunter-nin just to save a missing-nin who doesn't need you?" I asked pointedly, and with how close I was scrutinizing him, I did not miss the flash of insecurity that passed through his eyes.

"I am Zabuza's tool. As long as I'm useful to him, he'll keep me beside him."

"And when you aren't useful anymore?" I questioned, eager to see how far I could push him.

He hesitated for a few seconds. "When my usefulness runs out, I have no doubt he'll personally dispose of me." He stated, and his voice had taken on a steely edge, _almost _proving that he is, in fact, a ninja.

I considered his words in silence, and somehow, I came to the conclusion that I… understood him? Sympathised with him? Felt the pain he was undoubtedly feeling?  
Suddenly I realised that he really was just a teenager, and that even though I could sympathise with his need to belong, there was one major difference between us - his hands still remained unblemished, not stained red with the blood of his enemies like mine were. And yet, I understood why someone as pure as him would seek the company of a renowned missing-nin.

"So being with Zabuza gives you a purpose in life, does it not?" I asked, and saw his eyebrows shoot up and his eyes widen.

"Yes… Yes, it does." He said simply, staring at me in mild surprise. "How did you know?" he asked softly, curiously, and somehow, I felt compelled to answer.

"Your eyes. They're like mine used to be over five years ago – kind, trusting, yet scared of being abandoned. But you'll soon learn… people with eyes like yours don't get far in our world." I had not meant to become sentimental, and I cursed the innocent-looking teen that stood before me, whose face was set in an unnerving mask of calmness as he pondered my words. I cursed how he'd managed to coerce me into answering and decided to fight back for some dignity by throwing in a biting observation; "Grow up. Open your eyes." I ordered. "It would be a shame if you died because you hesitated with the final blow." I heard him gasp behind me as I turned on my heel, ready to march out of the clearing and forget everything that took place there.

Forget my temporary slip of composure.

Forget the gnawing pain in my heart as I saw his terrified eyes when I looked over my shoulder.

Forget the tears pooling in my eyes when I realised I had nailed it spot-on.

I shook my head, once again starting to walk away, before I was stopped by a hand gripping my shoulder. I turned around, surprised but cautious, ready to spring back and attack any time, but I almost gaped when he simply smiled down at me, tears making shiny tracks on his cheeks.

"My dream is to serve Zabuza. If he needs for me to kill, then I will forget my morals and do his bidding. What's your dream?" he whispered softly, as if he was afraid that if he spoke any louder, the serene atmosphere around us would shatter like broken glass.

"My dream?" I whispered back, a tentative smile making its way to my face as he nodded. But the smile vanished as did his when I did not reply.

"You don't have one." He stated, his voice slightly disappointed. When I nodded, he shook his head and smiled again. "What's your name?" he questioned, and I pondered if I should answer. Seeing nothing ill in his eyes, I replied. "Sakura."

"Sakura." He tested the name out. "It suits you. I'm Haku, by the way." I listened to him speak, chuckling softly at his name. _White. Pure. Oh, the irony._

Suddenly, the intimacy of the moment disappeared and my breath hitched as I stepped back and out of his hold, bowing deeply. "It was a pleasure to meet you. Please take my words into consideration."

He merely watched me with those sad eyes of his, a small smile still present on his face. "The pleasure is all mine. However… I fear that the next time we meet will be on the battlefield."

I sent him a bittersweet smile. "Unfortunately, it seems everyone's paths meet there. Yet, against all odds, I hope ours won't." before either of us could say anymore, I flashed away, forcing myself to get away from the clearing, and Haku's soft, innocent eyes that seemed to taunt her with the way they glinted in understanding, even though I had not said anything out of the ordinary. But I knew the feeling.

_The boy had read me like a book. _

Nobody so far had seen through the façade I put on display every day. Sometimes, even I struggled to separate the cover-up from reality. But Haku, he'd seen through it, just as easily as I saw through him – his eyes said it all.

"_Drop the façade." _I could imagine him say, if he had ever chosen to voice what his eyes seemed to be screaming. "_Everyone has a dream, so fight for yours; don't hide behind those of others'!" _ I cursed when I caught myself considering his words.

I shook my head, finalising my decision. Appearing strong and confident, strong enough to rise to the top and become known by a moniker was reassuring. It confirmed that my existence, however insignificant, was needed. It confirmed that my teammates needed my leadership. That my village needed my service.

Furthermore, like I had said before, sometimes even I couldn't differentiate between my thoughts and those of the person others knew me as.

_So where did one end and the other begin?_

* * *

The following three days went by swiftly, almost too quickly for my liking. It seemed Team 7 had finally mastered the tree-climbing technique, and the boys never wasted a chance to gloat and show off, an act which seemed to greatly irritate Akane. Every time the redhead passed the two gennin, he would scoff or pretend to gag at their cockiness. Finally, Kaoru seemed to have had enough of the brooding redhead and pinned him to the tree and all but yelled in his face.

"Ifit's bothering you so much, then for god's sake, do something about it and stop brooding! It's_ pissing me off!"_ the brunette shouted, visibly frustrated. Akane just blinked repeatedly, apparently stupefied, before he burst out laughing, having to lean on Kaoru in order to remain standing.

"O-Oh Kami, Kaoru-chan." He chuckled, wiping a few tears from his face. "If it was bothering you so much, why didn't you say something sooner?" I smirked at the brunette's indignant expression, just before he thumped the redhead on the head.

"Idiot! I was trying to, but you were too busy PMSing to notice!"

Just as Kaoru lifted his hand, undoubtedly to hit Akane again, 'just for good measure', the redhead caught his wrist and grinned up at him. "Wanna spar, Kaoru-chan? We've both got pent-up frustration that needs releasing."

And just like that, any hostility between the two vanished as they headed off to spar, and I followed behind them, preparing to step in and stop them if they even as much as _thought_ of re-enacting the First Shinobi World War again. _That _was not an experience I was willing to feel ever again.

* * *

Kakashi chuckled slightly as he watched the impromptu battle raging between the two genin, his own team sitting at the side-lines and watching with varying interest. On the other side of the clearing sat the pinkette, occasionally spiking her chakra or glaring meaningfully when a fireball or sword came too close for comfort. The incredible swiftness with which the duo exchanged blows alerted Kakashi to the fact that this was definitely not the first time they had a spar like this one. Though if one was paying as much attention as he was, they'd have noticed that a look of 'huh? This is new' which sometimes appeared on the boys' faces, meaning one of them hadn't seen the move the other had pulled before. They obviously shared a similar relationship as he and Gai – they forced each other to continue learning, improving and progressing, just to see if they could one-up the other.

The air around the two suddenly changed as the redhead said something he was too far away to catch. He saw as Sakura tensed on the other side, and the expression on the brunette's face changed into that of ill contempt. He saw Naruto shiver beside him and heard him whisper 'S-Scary…!'

He watched, intrigued, as Kaoru unsheathed his tanto and held his breath as he moved to drive it directly into the frozen redhead's stomach. But before he could as much as _touch _Akane, a wall of what appeared to be _solid chakra_ materialised between the two teens, blocking his strike like a shield. Kakashi's eyes rose in confusion, as did those of his genin, and his one visible eye widened almost comically at what he saw – the petite rosette had stood up, and he belatedly realised that her hand was the source of the solid chakra wall separating the boys.

"I told you," she began calmly. "I told you that I would not hesitate to step in." she glared at the two, somehow managing to appear frightening even with her fragile build and obnoxious pink hair. "Kaoru, no matter how _stupid _and completely _injudicious _what Akane said was, you are not allowed to just _drive a sword through his stomach_. He is the only medic on this mission – if he dies, we're all as good as dead. Akane… get out of my sight. That was the most pathetic insult I've heard in a while." Her tone changed into that of a deadly hiss as her eyes glared daggers at her teammates, still not releasing the chakra wall that separated them. "Now, I suppose you grow some brain cells and end this spar, or I swear to god, I will _end it for you. _Understood?"

The two nodded, albeit grudgingly, before they moved to either side of the rosette, glaring daggers at each other over her head.

Kakashi felt movement by his side and heard the rustling of clothes, and before he knew it, the Uchiha on his team was walking toward the trio, stopping just before Sakura.

"Spar with me." It was not a request, but a command, and Kakashi noticed the girl's eye twitch in annoyance, but to his surprise, she complied, walking away from her teammates and taking their place in the middle of the clearing.

"Fine. The first to force the other to yield wins." She declared easily, sliding into a ready position. Sasuke mirrored her stance, and they stared each other down, waiting for the other to move. When a few seconds passed and neither seemed like they would attack any time soon, Naruto booed from the side-lines.

"Come on, Sasuke-teme! Wipe the floor with her!" he shouted. "Or is the great Uchiha scared?" the mockery seemed to motivate Sasuke, as he sprung forward with a flurry of taijutsu, attempting to overwhelm the rosette.

But to no avail – Sakura seemed to dance around his attacks, staying just out of reach of his attacks, riling up the Uchiha even more. When he realised close-combat was useless, he retreated in order to formulate another plan, but the rosette flew after him, not even giving him a second to catch his breath.

Kakashi had realised long ago that her level was not that of usual genin. In her fight against him, she struggled, but she still managed to land a few hits of her own. But there, he had known of the immense difference in strength and experience, an obvious advantage for him, so it perfectly justified the fact that he was impressed she'd lasted so long.

Though here, against Sasuke…

It seemed like her true colours had finally shown themselves as she continued her onslaught of attacks, pushing Sasuke out of his comfort zone and into what Kakashi had labelled 'panic-mode'. The difference between their ability levels couldn't have been more obvious, and Kakashi was finally beginning to understand why she graduated so early; she easily outshone the genin around her, both in accuracy and the fluidity of her moves, and the brutal precision of her attacks reminded him more of a war veteran than a ten-year-old.  
He could see that Sasuke was struggling to defend against the array of taijutsu, his timing was off and he couldn't push the persistent rosette away from him no matter how much he struggled. But the Uchiha was far too proud to admit defeat, and with a well-timed substitution jutsu, he escaped her attacks, appearing what seemed to be a safe distance away, before he shot a fireball at her.

But the rosette was not to be deterred, which she proved as she easily dodged and launched a couple of deadly-accurate kunai at him, the raven moving to deflect the knives like a good little shinobi, smirking. Kakashi belatedly realised that it had been a set-up all along, as the rosette had used the kunai to _distract_ the Uchiha while she stuck out her arm, palm pointing forward. Before Sasuke could react, she produced what Kakashi could only call a _pulse of chakra _that shot towards him at incredible speed, the burst of compressed air mixed with chakra catching the Uchiha off-guard and making him lose balance. In a split second, Sakura appeared behind him, snatching his wrists and twisting his arms behind him as she planted her foot firmly on his back, pushing him to his knees. Grabbing both of Sasuke's wrists with one hand, she used her free hand to dig out a kunai and press it to his neck as the final proof of her victory.

"Yield, Uchiha." She commanded. When he didn't respond, she pushed him further back, twisting his arms with more force, until they heard the tell-tale _crack_ of a dislocated shoulder. Sasuke winced and bit his lip to keep himself from crying out.

"Yield." This time it came as a deadly hiss, the kunai digging deeper into his throat, making blood start to drip down from the wound.

"Sasuke-kun!" Hikari gasped behind him, and Kakashi spared a glance at the hyperventilating brunette.

"I-I yield." Sasuke gasped, scowling at the degrading words.

"Good boy." Sakura mocked, before she released his wrists and backed off, giving him space to collect himself. Her teammates grinned at her, and ruffled her hair, but she was focused on the Uchiha. "Don't go around challenging those you stand no chance against."

She ignored his sneer and indignant scoff as she walked off for a well-deserved nap.

* * *

The next morning, Kakashi had vaguely instructed us to go to the bridge, replying to our inquiries with a cryptic 'gut-feeling' as the only explanation. I did some quick math and realised it had been over a week since the battle – enough time for Zabuza to have recovered and planned a comeback. It was possible Kakashi was trying to be careful just in case he _did _attack.

Once we got to the bridge, I thanked the Copy Nin's proactivity as we found all of the men that were supposed to be working on the bridge collapsed and unconscious. Tazuna looked shocked.

"He's here." Kaoru stated quietly. "I can sense him."

Suddenly, mist enveloped the bridge and reduced our visibility considerably, further confirming our suspicions. I tensed when a gruff voice came from the space in front of us.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kakashi." Zabuza chuckled evilly. "I see you still have those brats with you, but who are the others? Regardless. I'll enjoy killing you. _All_ of you."

He then made a petty remark about how the Uchiha was shaking, and I stifled a sigh at the sheer stupidity of their words. Seriously, why do people always feel the need to have those ridiculously long monologues before a battle? By that point I was ready to turn on my heel and leave, but just as that thought crossed my mind, the mist cleared for a few seconds, revealing Zabuza and Haku in all their glory, and I grinned at the teen's words.

"That's true. He's quite a boy." the masked teen nodded in agreement. "Yet it's the girl I'm interested in." he added as an afterthought as he turned towards me, ignoring Team 7's confusion. "It seems like we meet again, Sakura-san."

"Indeed." I allowed a smirk to break free before I let the cold, aloof persona I'd spent so many years perfecting to steal over my face. "Now that the opportunity had presented itself, let's see whose dream is stronger!"

I prepared myself to pounce on the teen, but I ground my teeth in annoyance when the Uchiha interrupted, challenging _my _opponent. I had to say, his speed was quite good, but his moves were painfully predictable. That's why I was shocked when his kick connected with Haku's masked face, sending the boy flying back towards Zabuza.

I hissed in irritation and sent a meaningful glance at my teammates, before I flash-stepped to Sasuke's side, pushing the Uchiha back.

"Let go, Uchiha. He is my opponent." I snarled at the teen, making it obvious I wanted nothing to do with him, and that I would not hesitate to _hurt him _if he got in my way.

Suddenly, Haku's voice reached my ears, and I was surprised, yet pleased with its steely quality. "Please wait, Sakura-san. This has become personal. I'll deal with him, then we can have our fight."

Zabuza chuckled and stepped back, obviously aware of what the teen was going to do and not at all surprised when a dome of mirrors rose around the Uchiha, surrounding him while Haku _stepped in _the mirror. He smirked at Kakashi. "Your student is as good as dead now." There was no compassion in his words, and, in all honesty, I was glad that both ninjas' attention was directed elsewhere as it presented me with the perfect opportunity to tell my teammates what I wanted them to do.

They were about twenty metres behind me, but, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible, I ever-so-slightly spiked my chakra, knowing that Kaoru with his sensory abilities would pick it up right away. I was proven right as the brunette looked up, eyes zeroing on mine as he nudged Akane to do the same. He made a move to get closer to me, but I shook my head, stopping him in his tracks.

I pointed at Zabuza, then back at them. Kaoru arched his eyebrows and subtly touched his sword, to which I nodded. Akane frowned in an obvious question of _Why? _I once again pointed at Zabuza, then did a basic clone technique, trying to use as little chakra as possible. Akane looked doubtful, while Kaoru merely mouthed _how many? _I thought about that for a few seconds.

_There's five of us, plus Kakashi and Zabuza. Considering he'll most probably try to attack Kakashi while his clones go for Tazuna, he'll only need six. So six it i- no, wait. He's a proud ninja; he wouldn't let a _clone _kill his target. Therefore he would pretend that he was coming at Tazuna, but all that the clone would be doing would be distracting him while he snuck in and killed him from behind. And for that to work, he'll need one extra, so seven it is._

I made sure I had Kaoru's undivided attention before I raised both my hands and indicated the number. The brunette nodded just as Sasuke's piercing scream ripped through the air. I whipped my head towards the dome of mirrors, my neck aching due to the whiplash.

_Mirrors. Sasuke screaming._

My heart stopped for a few seconds as I took in the sobbing Uchiha, the senbon sticking out of him making him look like a hedgehog. I caught the feeling of sympathy the pathetic sight evoked in me, reigning it in and squashing it until it cowered in the corner of my mind. I flash-stepped into the dome of mirrors, standing before the Uchiha and cutting the senbon assault short simply by my surprise appearance. I spared the Uchiha a disdainful glance. "This is truly pitiful." I hissed at him. "I hope you realise how stupid you were, challenging opponents far beyond your level."

A thought suddenly flittered through my mind, and I decided to investigate by once again flash-stepping out and I found myself outside of the mirrors, and presented with the perfect view of Sasuke's astonished face as I had gotten out so easily. Feeling pity for the wounded teen, I used a simple substitution jutsu and switched our places, taking in the Uchiha's surprised expression just seconds before he collapsed into his teammate's arms.

I turned, feeling more relaxed and confident than before, and faced the multiple replicas of Haku gazing at me from behind his mask. I allowed a small smirk to bloom on my face before it turned into a feral grin.

"Sorry for the interruption." I apologised mockingly. Then, all signs of teasing left my face as I snarled; "Our fight is now!"

* * *

Kaoru and Akane stood in front of Zabuza, Kakashi gazing worriedly at his fallen student.

"Go." The brunette nodded in Tazuna's direction. "We'll handle it from here."

The Copy-nin sent them one last glance before he ran towards his students and their client, leaving the two teens alone with the missing nin, just as Kaoru turned to look at Sakura's fight and frowned worriedly when all he could see were black blurs as both teens were moving too quickly for his eyes to follow.

"You don't look like you came here just to fight." Zabuza's gruff voice cut through the silence around them as he brandished his sword, the metal glistening dangerously.

"You're right." Akane nodded. "We didn't come here to fight you. We came here to violently hack you to pieces." The redhead stated easily.

Zabuza chuckled. "You're not like Kakashi's brats, I'll give you that. You're not afraid of bloodshed. Your whole team is like that, especially the short pink-haired brat." He levelled them with a calculating gaze. Suddenly, his sword came directly at Akane's head. Quick reflexes and years of practise were the only things that allowed the teen to block the attack.

"Get out of the way, kid. You may be better than Kakashi's brats, but you're still a brat. You don't stand a chance."

Akane's eyes glinted ominously and Kaoru gulped, but swallowed his fear and prepared for the fight that was bound to take place. The Kiri missing-nin swung his sword again, and this time it was Kaoru who blocked his strike while he kicked the redhead away. With both of Kaoru's hands occupied, the missing-nin took one hand away and formed a seal. Suddenly, clones appeared, but they swiftly ducked and twisted out of the way and ran away when the teens tried to destroy them.

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven! It's exactly as Sakura said!_ Kaoru thought frantically as the clones surrounded the bridge-builder. Even with Kakashi there, the brunette seriously doubted the jounin could destroy all of them, while at the same time looking out for his team and their client.

Using his distraction, Zabuza pushed harder and forced Kaoru off-balance, but just when the missing-nin was preparing to run, Akane stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"No way are we letting you get past us so easily." The redhead grinned. "We made a promise to Sakura, and we sure as hell are going to keep it."

Kaoru sighed with relief and chuckled at his teammate's predictable behaviour. Dusting himself off, he stood up and moved to stand beside Akane. They shared a meaningful glance, and simultaneously sprung at Zabuza.

* * *

Haku picked himself off of the ground for the second time that day. His mask had cracked and exposed most of his face, giving the rosette a clear view of his wide, disbelieving eyes and bleeding forehead.

In all honesty, Haku was stumped. One moment, he was bombarding the rosette with senbon, and while she dodged some, most still pierced her pale skin, and the next, he felt a powerful punch connect with his jaw and found himself forced out of his mirrors, the shock and pain dispelling the jutsu, while the rosette stood over him with not even a scratch on her body, only slightly out-of-breath.

"H-How?" he stuttered, still shocked, and, albeit slightly, awed by the overwhelming power that radiated from the rosette.

"My speed is my main advantage in the field. I spent years perfecting it, increasing it. But a ninja who only excels in one area will never be successful."

Haku took in her words as he shakily rose to his feet, his knees buckling under him, almost causing him to fall if it wasn't for the small hand that caught his arm and steadied him and as he looked down, dispassionate emerald pools gazed back at him.

"What you said back in the clearing…" her whispered words penetrated the air between them and spurred his brain back to life. "It gave me a lot to think about. And… you were wrong. I do have a dream. And I am willing to fight for it."

Against all odds, Haku felt a smile blossoming on his bloodied face as he understood what the rosette meant. "That's good. However… I lost. I am not of use anymore. Therefore there is only one thing I shall ask of you…"

"_Kill me."_

* * *

**Thank you very much for reading! I have the next chapter pretty much typed out so expect a faster update – the only reason I didn't continue going is because it didn't flow as well, so I had to cut the 15,000 words chapter into half.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, even with the monologues and the slightly more-depressing-than-normal thoughts, and the badly-written action scenes. I promise you the next chapters will be purely humour and action, until we get to the chunin exams where everything will go haywire.**

**Please review!**

**Love,**

**~Invincible Shadow.**


	14. Despair

**Thank you, everybody, for all the kind words and constructive criticism. Even the not-so-kind reviews were appreciated. For those who feel as though Sakura is hardly like her canon personality, I'll explain – I HATE cannon Sakura. Kishimoto was amazing in everything else, but he really missed his chance in expanding on Sakura's character beyond that of a love-struck fangirl in the anime, and then love-sick nurse in Shippuden. Also, this is a FAN FICTION. This story was born in my head. So please don't flame saying 'this is nothing like cannon!' because I KNOW IT ISN'T! **

**Enough rambling, on with the (much delayed, Sorry! :3) STORY!**

* * *

Kakashi had captured Zabuza with the help of his nin-dogs, and was just gathering chakra for the final Chidori which he would drive through the missing-nin's heart, but it seemed fate had other plans, as, just before his strike connected, a pale body appeared in front of him, followed by a second which pulled the first away and delivered a harsh strike to his arm, dispelling the jutsu.

"You can't just run away after saying that!"

Slightly shocked at the sudden arrival, it took Kakashi a few seconds to locate the voice, and when he finally did, he sweat-dropped at the sight of Sakura shaking the taller Kiri teen by the shoulders, reprimanding him. Then his brain caught onto the fact that he was their enemy, so he wordlessly commanded his nin-dogs to immobilise the boy as well.

The rosette jumped back, surprised by the dogs springing from the ground. She looked at him curiously before she connected the dots and frowned heavily. A miniscule wince passed through her features as the boy whimpered in pain when the dogs' teeth pierced through his flesh.

Suddenly, a flash of yellow and orange caught everybody's attention, and a loud voice boomed; "Relax now, the hero has come to save the day! Naruto Uzumaki has arrived- HUH?" half-way through his speech, the obnoxious blonde finally noticed the current situation and immediately quietened down, apparently not noticing the disbelieving looks Kaoru and Akane were shooting him.

"As I was saying," Kakashi began as he turned to face his team. "Our target has been captured and the threat to Tazuna-san's life has been nullified. Now," he turned towards Team 13, a wry look in his eye. "As it was originally your mission, I'm going to let you dispose of the enemy." When none of the genin replied, he gazed intently at Sakura. "Kill them, Sakura."

Slowly, tentatively, Sakura raised the senbon she'd taken from Haku to her lips. They saw her tongue dart out and slide over the side of the senbon before she spoke.

"No."

"…"

"I told you she was too weak to do anything but complain." Quicker than Kakashi would've deemed possible in his injured state, Sasuke had jumped towards Zabuza, the kunai in his hand already pointing at the ninja's throat. "Any last words?" the raven sneered.

"Go to hell, Uchiha." Came Zabuza's gruff voice. "You can't kill me."

"That was a rhetorical question."

And his arm shot forward.

"Sasuke-kun, no!"

But the kunai never reached Zabuza. Instead, there was the horrid, squelching sound of metal piercing through flesh and blood dribbling to the floor.

"Sakura-chan!"

The pink-haired genin had moved quicker than the Uchiha and shot her hand directly into the path of the flying projectile. Ignoring her worried teammates, she shot an acid glare at the frozen raven.

"I told you I wasn't going to kill them." She hissed icily. "However, that does not mean you can just jump in and pretend to play hero." She turned her gaze back towards the two mist-nins. "I won't kill them… _I can't _kill them, because something doesn't add up, and until I get some answers, _nothing _can make me change my mind. Not even _you, _Uchiha."

The harsh tone in which she spoke made even Sasuke back down. Satisfied with the temporary silence, her attention returned to Zabuza.

"There's a reason I can't kill you." She began. "Like Kaoru has probably already told you, I have a rather warped sense of justice. Something doesn't add up, and until I figure out what it is, I won't kill you."

Zabuza seemed shocked, as did everyone else gathered on the bridge, apart from Haku, whose bloodied face bore a small, understanding smile.

Naruto blinked. "She's… trying to figure out why these crazy-ass weirdoes became missing-nin?" he mumbled confusedly. "But… that's so much _thinking_!" he groaned.

"Sakura is a person whose intellect far exceeds that of anyone else gathered here." Akane stated confidently while moving towards the pinkette. "She'll have the reason figured out in a few seconds." Kaoru added, and moved to follow his teammate.

Sasuke was enraged. "Kakashi! She's sabotaging our mission!" he exclaimed, indignant.

"Not really, Sasuke." The Copy-nin drawled. "While I do not approve of her decision, _our_ mission was strictly to protect Tazuna, but it was Sakura's team's job as back-up to dispose of the direct threat to our client's well-being. And, as team leader, Sakura has the ability to choose how to dispose of said threat, which includes how, when and where."

During Kakashi's speech, Akane had moved to heal Sakura's kunai-injured hand, while the other teen was speaking to the rosette in hushed tones, so only the three of them could hear. It didn't escape the Copy-nin's notice how tenderly the three genin seemed to go about each other, rather contradictory to what he'd seen when they sparred; there was an undeniable expression of worry in the boys' eyes. Or how, when the redhead started looking weary, the taller brunette lent him his own chakra to finish healing Sakura's wound.

_They aren't _just_ a team. They're a family. _He stole a glance at his three students. _Something they'll never be. _

"There's just something I'm missing." Sakura mumbled, running her freshly-healed hand through her hair in frustration as she paced back-and-forth. "There must be… Some kind of ulterior motive."

"Ulterior motive?" Hikari echoed, having overheard the rosette. "What makes you think they have an ulterior motive? They're criminals!"

Sakura shot a cold glare at the brunette.

"They're not criminals, they're missing-nins. There's a difference. And none of the missing-nins we've had dealings with before – and trust me, there were many – ever did anything simply out of respect or loyalty. They work for Gato." She pointed at the two immobilised Kiri-nin, sneering at the name. "A pathetic, honourless man. Not even scum like Zabuza would willingly work for him, not unless there was something he could gain from it… but what could it be, apart from money and recognition? He has plenty of that anyway, so what- wait a minute…" she cut off, and they all watched as she reached into the folds of her kimono and extracted a stack of cards.

"Nin-info cards? That's a little fancy for a genin." Zabuza commented.

Sakura ignored him and continued flicking through the cards until she found what she was looking for. "Money and recognition. What could a missing-nin want that for? And so desperately at that, so they would voluntarily work for Gato?" she mumbled to herself as her eyes scanned over the information. "Wait… Oh, Kami-sama." She gasped as understanding flashed through her emerald eyes as they raised to look into Zabuza's beady black ones. "You're planning another coup, aren't you? A coup d'état to bring down the Fourth Mizukage."

Naruto looked puzzled, as did Hikari and Sasuke, though the latter hid it well.

"A coup? What is she talking about? This is getting weirder and weirder, dattebayo!"

His answer was given by Kaoru, but though he recited it evenly, word-for-word like one would see it in a textbook, his attention wasn't really on what he talked about, but more on his pink-haired teammate. "Twenty years or so ago, a man known as Yagura came to hold the title of the Fourth Mizukage. During his reign, Kirigakure was known as the 'Village of Bloody Mist'. For the chunin exams, the participants had to fight each other... the first one to die lost, and the winner became a chunin."

Team 7 gazed in horror at the Kiri-nin, their faces a mixture of shock, disgust and disbelief. But Sakura wasn't done yet.

"You need to update your Bingo Book, Zabuza. The Fourth Mizukage is dead."

It was almost comical how Zabuza's face, although covered almost entirely by bandages, visibly paled. An expression of disbelief and shock took over his face, and Sakura pitied the man – his entire life's goal was suddenly brought down to nothing.

"How?" Zabuza croaked out. "When?"

"I don't know. But he's dead, and a new Mizukage has already been appointed. You don't need to work for Gato anymore. You're a free man."

"Sakura! A man does not become free or erased from his crimes by simply having a justification for them." Kakashi criticised. "They're still wanted criminals."

"And I intend to put that title to good use by killing that rat Gato." Zabuza spat the name like poison.

"Is that so?" a voice came from the mist, and suddenly, it all came crashing down. Gato and his men, at least a hundred, emerged from the mist, each brandishing a weapon of some sort.

It all happened in a split second, but Sakura's eyes saw it as if in slow-motion;

A knife came whizzing from one of Gato's men, its tip pointed straight at Zabuza's heart. In his immobilised position, the Kiri-nin could do nothing but watch with a horrified expression as it got closer and closer. But then something unexpected happened; seconds before impact, giant ice spikes impaled Kakashi's summons, freeing Haku, and in an exceptional burst of speed even Sakura was envious of, the raven-haired teen appeared in front of Zabuza, blocking the man with his own body, just as the knife pierced through his chest.

_A human barrier._

Tears prickled Sakura's eyes and blurred her vision. Not thinking about the consequences, she flashed to Haku's side and grabbed his limp body, moving away from Zabuza, her teammates, and everyone else. She gently laid the teen down and bent over his body, burying her face in his sweet-smelling hair as she finally let the tears flow.

Sakura felt a gentle hand rest on her hair and she looked up, only to be met with the pale, bloodied face of Haku. Yet even when on death's doorstep, he still had a smile on his face. "Do not despair." He whispered. "I thank you for looking into this, for seeing Zabuza as more than just a rouge. Everyone always fears us – it was refreshing, having someone we barely know defend us. Thank you. Also, even if you deny it, you have the purest soul I've ever seen in a shinobi." The rosette let out an agonised sob as she listened to his words. She stroked his charcoal hair and watched as he coughed out blood, and waited as the final seconds of his life ticked by, and the light slowly faded from his eyes. "I… have fulfilled… my purpose. Farewell… Sakura-san."

The rosette let her head thump softly onto Haku's unmoving chest as she sobbed. Nothing mattered anymore; not her status, not her dreams, and definitely not the fight going on just mere metres away from where she lay. There was only her pain and the dead body of the boy who was so similar, yet so much _better _than her. She stayed in that position for a few minutes, mourning Haku.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a voice drawled, just as Sakura's peripheral vision caught sight of a foot probing Haku's body. She glared up at whoever had the gall to do that to the poor boy, her eyes conveying pain, sadness, but most importantly, pure, unadulterated rage, and was greeted with the sight of the vilest face she'd seen in a while.

* * *

"_Don't touch him with your filthy hands, you worthless piece of shit!"_

That exclamation had everyone turning on their heel, even those currently engaged in battle, to see the source of the voice. Kaoru and Akane were stunned to see it had come from Sakura – the rosette was kneeling over Haku's body, clutching Gato's wrist in an iron grip and, by the look of agony on the man's face, breaking all the little bones in his wrist into tiny pieces.

Yet the _furious _expression on her face frightened even Kaoru, for never in the two years he'd known the pinkette had he seen her so outraged, so angry, so… _dangerous. _

"_You want to know the reason why I became a gennin? Because I came this close, __**this close **__to killing one of the girls in my class. And I would've, had they not stopped me."_

Finally, after two years since he's heard it did he finally realise that it was true, and that she was perfectly capable of killing somebody in cold blood and not even wince while doing it. Sakura was promoted early for being exceptional, and he cursed himself for not realising sooner what 'exceptional' meant in the world they lived in.

_Dangerous. Deadly. Frightening. A perfect weapon. _

With that fresh revelation, he watched as the rosette's eyes blazed and he could almost feel the chakra flowing to her hand, shattering the bones completely. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Zabuza say something to the blonde, before the teen hesitantly placed a kunai in the missing-nin's mouth. Quicker than Kaoru expected, Zabuza dashed forward and ripped Gato away from Sakura – the pinkette calming down when she realised justice was going to be dealt – and proceeded to tear the man into shreds; the gruesome scene making even him cover his eyes.

When it was over, and the villagers had chased Gato's men away, Kaoru watched as the previously ferocious man staggered over to where Haku lay, and collapsed, his uncovered face portraying weariness, regret, but most importantly, contentment.

As Team 7 said the final goodbye to the ninja, Kaoru had the startling realisation that it was all _finally over. _Akane walked over to him, and the brunette smiled when he saw his younger teammate hastily wiping away the tears that had fallen.

"Still as sensitive as always, huh?" he teased.

"Sh-Shut up." The redhead whined, trying – and failing – to stop the tears from coming. "Even Sakura-chan cried, so I'm allowed to!" he defended meekly.

"Speaking of," Kaoru began, looking around. "Where _is _Sakura?"

* * *

After the small funeral, Kaoru and Akane excused themselves to go look for their teammate. "Where is she, Kaoru-chan?" the redhead asked worriedly. "Sakuea is not one to just randomly disappear, and she seemed really unstable after that battle so she could've-"

"Akane, shut up." The brunette cut off his teammate's ramblings. "I'm sure she's safe – Sakura is a responsible person, after all…"

He redhead gazed at his teammate in disbelief. "But… you must be worried too, right, Kaoru-chan?!"

"Of course I am, you idiot!" Kaoru exclaimed in annoyance, whacking his teammate over the head. "I just… We should just check for her thoroughly first, then panic. She might be somewhere really close."

Akane smiled and tilted his head to gaze at Kaoru in amusement. "I really admire your levelheadedness, Kao-"

He was once again cut off when they heard the sound of trees crashing down and enraged, almost desperate yells that soon turned to wails. There was a huge spike of chakra, and the two exchanged looks.

"I think we've found Sakura-chan." Akane mumbled.

"So it would seem."

* * *

When they saw the extent of the damage done to the clearing, Akane paled and stepped back, while Kaoru winced, casting a worried glance at his surroundings. The trees were uprooted and reduced to splinters, some with wide dents, others with gaping holes straight through the trunks. The ground was bare, all of the flora which should've been covering seemed to have been burnt off; but what attracted their attention the most was the shaking, whimpering pinkette who lay at the edge of the clearing, curled up in a pitiful ball.

The duo exchanged worried glances before Akane carefully stepped forward and shook the rosette's shoulder gently.

"Sakura-chan…?" it came out as a quiet question, but the girl in question had somehow heard him over her sobs and raised her head. The redhead let out a loud, stunned gasp at the sight that greeted him – Sakura's eyes were swollen and blood-shot, tears flowed down her face in unstoppable rivers and snot dripped from her nose. But what shocked them the most was the broken, agonised expression on the rosette's face. It didn't belong, and it made their teammate, their invincible, untouchable teammate, seem suddenly vulnerable and _afraid. _

Akane stepped back, planning to give the rosette some space to compose herself, but Kaoru had no such consideration; he stepped right into Sakura's bubble, pulled out a tissue and began cleaning her up, wiping away her tears and making soft hushing noises whenever a particularly heartbroken sob tore past her lips. The redhead stood just a few metres away, on guard and ready to jump in and, as much as it pained Kaoru to say it, _stop Sakura _if she became too violent.

When the brunette was done, he pulled away slightly and sat beside the rosette, nudging Akane to do the same. Once they were both seated, and he was sure they had Sakura's undivided attention, he spoke.

"What happened, Sakura-chan?" he asked softly, and Akane silently admired how his words managed to sound comforting, curious, yet demanding at the same time. The weirdest thing was, it actually made the rosette look up and open her mouth as if she was about to speak.

"I'm so weak, Kaoru." She whispered brokenly. Akane openly gawked and his mouth moved before his brain or Kaoru could stop it.

"Are you crazy, Sakura-chan! You're, like, ridiculously strong! Your chakra control is amazing and you've learned to do some incredible things with it and-!"

"Shut up, Akane!"

Sakura's shriek cut the redhead off, and he stared, shocked, at her suddenly angry expression. But she wasn't done.

"I'm not strong! Be honest – chakra control is my only ability! My chakra coils can't hold too much and I get exhausted ridiculously quickly due to my short body-build and age. So I trained my control, but what use is control if I can't do anything _with it_? I tried it before – I have no talent with elemental jutsu! I have the perfect amount of chakra prepared, but nothing comes out! So I compensated with taijutsu, but it's slowly destroying my body! I've pretty much stopped growing, so I'll forever be at a disadvantage when faced with taller opponents! It's like the world is against me being a shinobi!" she stopped shouting to catch her breath and shuddered miserably.

"I can't… do… anything." Was her final whisper, before she once again broke down into tears and heart-wrenching sobs, but this time, Kaoru simply picked her up and they headed back to Tazuna's house, leaving the tear-stained clearing behind.

But they had gained one thing from this unfortunate incident; the revelation that Sakura, regardless of how much she covered it, was still _human. _And she still struggled to make it through, just like everybody else.

* * *

They had left Tazuna-san, Tsunami-san and Inari's house, and were finally on their way home, already a safe distance away from the village, much to Sakura's relief.

"You look upset." Kaoru murmured as he jogged to walk beside her.

"Yeah. I haven't seen you this sad since a good year. What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" Akane added curiously.

Sakura sighed. "I just can't believe how this mission turned out. Of course, we accomplished the mission, disposed of Gato, and all that, but we also lost two innocent people. I don't see how I could be happy in this situation…"

Sasuke snorted. "I wouldn't be so sure about '_innocent'_" he commented snidely.

Immediately, Kaoru and Akane appeared by the Uchiha's side.

"Listen brat," the brunette began seriously, "Life-lesson number one for you right here."

"You _never_ question Sakura-chan. It's like a rule. It just doesn't happen." Akane added.

"Tch. Whatever."

"Seriously, kid. Sakura-chan prides herself in completing all the missions assigned to her 100% perfect. If a life can be spared or saved while she's at it, it makes her day. If it can't… well, let's say people will pay. With their lives. Later on, of course." Kaoru explained, enjoying when he saw the raven shudder. "So when Sakura is in this mood, you just stay quiet and be grateful that you're not the training dummy she'll be venting her frustration out the next morning."

Hikari and Naruto gulped.

"On our last A-rank mission, we were told to locate and dispose of a rogue shinobi who massacred two entire civilian villages for no reason. Sakura was _livid_. The guy had killed innocent people, and when we finally caught up to him, it turned out we couldn't actually kill him. He was under some kind of special protection of the Kazekage, so we had to take him back to Konoha for the T&I department to deal with him how they saw fit once the Sandaime gained approval from the Kazekage." Akane continued where his teammate left off, a reminiscent smirk on his face. "You should have seen the destruction she made. Hokage-sama had to pay for two new training grounds after she was done with them."

Team 7 decided not to question the older genin anymore, and slowly dispersed into their assigned positions – Naruto and Hikari dropped back to walk in line with Kakashi at the back, while Sasuke migrated to the front to walk a few steps behind Sakura. Kaoru and Akane stayed in the middle.

* * *

"You know," Kaoru murmured, "we told them that she was sad that innocent lives have been lost… But I'm seriously beginning to doubt if that's the only reason for her sadness."

"You're right-I've noticed it too. She's changed a lot; she's no longer the eight-year-old we met two years ago. She's still a child when she's with us, when there's no one else around, but when we go on missions, she becomes so guarded and detached it's like she's a completely different person. And whenever she 'saves' someone…" Akane shuddered. "At first I thought she didn't like death so she tried to avoid it, but now I realise that there's another reason… I just don't know what!"

"Have you ever considered that, maybe, when she 'saves' their lives, she makes them indebted to her… on purpose?" Kaoru supplied.

"But what would she need favours from people in other Villages for?" Akane asked, curiosity evident in his eyes.

"Maybe…" Kaoru whispered, "she's collecting allies?"

Akane blinked, confusion overtaking his features. Then, he shook his head like a dog, trying to get rid of some thought and a grin appeared on his face.

"Neh, you're overthinking things, Kaoru-chan. We're just getting a little paranoid that our little sister is growing up. Relax." The redhead explained, patting the taller brunette on the hip.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Kaoru agreed, smiling a little. But, on the inside, he still couldn't get rid of the nagging thought which made him suspect Sakura's mood-swings in the first place.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the duo, Kakashi was walking right behind them and overheard every word they said. The moment he heard the brunette first express his worry that Sakura wasn't telling them everything, he became interested. Even more so than he was interested in their position:

Both boys had one of their arms around each-other's waist, hands clutching the other's hip – something he noticed was quickly creeping out his students – Naruto and Hikari were green-faced with gaping mouths. Even the Uchiha couldn't mask his wide eyes when he first saw them.

Upon further inspection, Kakashi realised that there was more to it than mere appreciation of skin-ship – their hands were resting within easy reach of the other's hip pouch, and though their posture remained casual, Akane's other hand was inching closer and closer to the strap of his scroll, the contents of which Team 7 had yet to see.

Kaoru, Kakashi noted, though he made no indication of moving his hand to his sword, his eyes kept flickering from side to side, and he would occasionally speed up his pace to a jog, but would then be pulled back by his redheaded teammate.

At first glance only Sakura seemed relaxed, though a minute later Kakashi noticed she had a senbon in her mouth and was idly flicking it from side to side. What caught his attention was the tip of the needle – it was a strange green colour.

_Poison_. He realised.

So they were all expecting an attack, and judging by Kaoru and Akane's respectively agitated and irritated faces, Kakashi guessed they were not used to travelling at civilian speed.

He decided he _definitely_ had to ask the Hokage about what kind of missions he sent those three on.

He had a feeling he won't like the answer.

* * *

**AAAAAND… it's done! I'm sorry it's much shorter than originally planned, and that I couldn't update as early as I promised – although I had most of the chapter already written out, a lot of personal and, uh, **_**upsetting **_**matters got in the way of me updating as quickly as I would've preferred. As for the length; I had a good 2,000 more words written for this chappie, but it didn't go **_**at all **_**with the rest of the chapter. So, I shall put it in my 'to be used later' folder, and simply begin the next chapter by the long-awaited Chunin Exam!**

**For those who think her break-down was unnecessary – Sakura is a genius. She is not a prodigy, she has only two main talents – chakra control and speed – but she has a brain. Considering I made her familiar with a Bingo Book very early on, and since I found out that in the actual Academy curriculum the future-genin study past Bingo Books, I decided that with enough back-ground information, Sakura was perfectly capable of coming up with the conclusion she did. It was also my take at the Zabuza-Haku combo. I love them to bits, but seriously, they die too early. Thus, coming back to my earlier point, all geniuses experience stress. Some become detached, some insane, some shut themselves away from the world. However, Sakura isn't that far gone yet. BUT, she is stressed, plus, she is YOUNG. So, excuse her moment of craziness, but anyone would've broken down after such a battle. **

**Finally, SORRY! I planned to save Haku (yes, kurohime1024, I perfectly understand your view – I shared that as well) but, as someone had pointed out, I "win the Mary-Sue award of February 2013". Although I don't share that opinion, saving Haku would've been pushing the limits between 'interesting character development' and 'OK, that is a Mary-Sue'.**

**And, DiamondForest, THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOUR REVIEWS MAKE MY DAY!**

**Love, **

**Invincible Shadow!**


	15. Exams: I

**Thank you, you little beauties! Your reviews make my day! Sorry for the incredibly late update, but I hadn't been feeling too well in the last few weeks, and apparently I wasn't allowed to use my computer in the hospital… weird people.  
Anyway, thank you _Knockoutroundabout_ for your incredibly lengthy, kind review. I'll take what you said into consideration. As always, a little shout-out _DiamondForest_, my most faithful reviewer, and_ KasonSama_ for your help. And everybody else who reviewed too!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Both teams arrived in Konoha in less than a week, but Team 13 was told to hand in their written and oral report a week _after_ the mission. When they were finally summoned to the office and had waited for the 'come in' for a good half an hour, they were admitted to see the Hokage.

As usual, Sakura stood in the middle of her two teammates, as it was her giving the oral report. What surprised the teens by her side was the fact that she seemed hesitant, almost nervous about the ordeal, which was strange considering that they'd done it at least a hundred times already.

That suspicion was further proven when she swallowed audibly and asked; "Where should I start, Hokage-sama?"

Which was around the time when alarm bells started ringing in Kaoru's mind for Sakura was never confused, never at a loss for words and _definitely _never hesitated.

"From the beginning would be wonderful." The Sandaime replied, smiling comfortingly although visibly surprised by the question.

"I… it was a very- um, I mean, the mission, it affected me emotionally… and I'm not sure how to say this, but…" now even Akane was gaping at the stuttering rosette.

Sarutobi heard a scoff from behind. "A good shinobi never lets their emotions take hold of them." Danzo's gravelly voice echoed in the small office. The rosette glanced at the man over Hiruzen's shoulder, her eyes widened and her mouth twitched downward while her gaze turned icy.

"Hai, forgive me, Hokage-sama." Her tone was back to the professional lilt with no hint of hesitation. And the Hokage watched as her shoulders squared, her face cleared of all doubt and anxiety, the calm, collected mask of polite detachment replacing it instead. She stopped rubbing her hands and let them drop by her sides. Finally, the rosette looked like the perfect, mature shinobi the Hokage had grown accustomed to seeing around his office.

"As I was saying," and she proceeded to deliver the perfect mission report, yet that one, single slip of composure would never be forgotten by Sarutobi, for it proved that even the best had their weaknesses. He just wandered what did it for the rosette.

* * *

Once away from the stifling office, Kaoru and Akane planned to take Sakura out for dinner, seeing as they had yet another A-Rank mission completed to the utmost perfection. Yet the rosette merely brushed past them with an "I'm going to train. _Alone. _I'll see you soon." as her only explanation. Still, they decided to just go themselves, and were currently walking side-by-side to the Akimichi Restaurant, enjoying the unusual, yet comfortable silence that settled around them.

"Hey, Kao-chan…?" Akane broke the spell.

"Hm?"

"Did you see, back in the office, how when that old man spoke she immediately calmed down? What's up with that? And why did she storm off like that? We should celebrate – we've once again proved that we're the undisputed Kings and Queens of all genin!" he chuckled.

Kaoru took a few seconds to collect his thoughts before he replied. "She's angry she lost her composure, obviously." At the redhead's blank look, he sighed. "Like you said, Sakura… has changed. Or rather, reverted back to how she was when we first met her, when emotion was a weakness. Why? I have no idea. But all I know is that I don't like it, not one bit. And why did she run off? She told you – to train." The brunette explained. Akane thought over his friend's words, a serious look on his face. "Hey, don't think so much – your head might implode!"

"Funny, Kaoru-chan." Akane replied sarcastically. "But really, I just don't get why she has this need to _keep training! _It's like, she knows she's way better than everybody, but she's still killing herself with training every single day! Why does she do that?"

The brunette wondered whether to let his teammate on to his little secret, but since Akane sounded genuinely worried, he did. "Sakura talks in her sleep," he began, but noticed the redhead gazing at him weirdly, which confused him. "What?"

"Kaoru-chan… How do you know that?" Akane asked suspiciously.

Kaoru blushed when he caught on to what his friend was insinuating. "That's not what I meant, you idiot!" he shook his head and shivered in trepidation. "You sleep like a brick so you don't even notice it when we share a tent, but I can't sleep most of the time, so I know. Overall, what I deduced was that Sakura has a huge inferiority complex. She doesn't want to be a burden, or a disappointment, so she tries to be the best she can, usually forgetting her own well-being."

"That explains why she trains, but…" Akane thought out loud. "Why is she so worried? Her taijutsu alone is a force to be reckoned with!"

"Yes and no." Kaoru replied. "Although there is always the element of surprise, since her style doesn't seem to exist, seeing as it's not written in any of the scrolls in the library, _even_ the restricted ones, the moves themselves have huge loopholes, which, if one knows how to use, can become massive faults." Akane looked at him in curiosity so he elaborated. "When we first met, I was a little doubtful about her style. Firstly, considering her build, no blow she delivers can be very powerful. Then I realised she reinforced it with chakra. While that was rather impressive, as it showed she had both, good control _and_ timing, what I was worried about was how long she could last like that. Chakra reserves develop with age. Even now, her reserves cannot be larger than perhaps half, maybe three-quarters of yours." At the redhead's disbelieving look, he sighed. "It's her control that makes it seem like her reserves are the size of a Jinchuuriki's. _I told you that before, idiot."_ The brunette took a deep breath before he continued. "So although the style was not perfect, she compensated for what she didn't yet realise were problems by using chakra.But I couldn't just walk up to her and say that. I was too awed by how she literally surpassed all of my expectations."

Akane frowned. _So what's the big deal? _He wondered.

As if reading his mind, Kaoru continued. "The problem is that she seemed to have realised that a few months ago. Noticed all the little faults, even the ones I didn't think of. So now she's slaving to the point of exhaustion to get rid of them. You saw the chakra wall she used to separate us during the mission; I didn't think much of it at first, but then I realised: chakra is usually invisible. The wall was, well, a _wall. _It was solid, and we could see it. Now that I think about it, it was light blue. Chakra only becomes visible if an immense amount of it is concentrated at once." He left the sentence hanging for Akane's interpretation.

"So… what you're saying is that even without having a lot of chakra, Sakura managed to use so much it coloured and became solid…right?"

"She solidified it somehow, I don't know how, but it was her will. And don't forget, she also fought with the Uchiha immediately afterward." Kaoru added, waiting for the redhead to gather his thoughts.

"There's something she isn't telling us, isn't there?" Akane asked, but it was more like a statement anyway, and Kaoru felt proud – the redhead, even with a pea-sized brain, still managed to come to a decent conclusion.

"That's what I think. But I'm certain we'll find out what it is soon." When Akane shot him a _how do you know? _look, Kaoru shrugged. "Gut feeling."

* * *

Though the rosette felt slightly guilty for pushing away her teammates. But Kaoru was right. She had realised the faults of her techniques, and only just fully grasped the disadvantage her inability to use an elemental jutsu put her at. She was a close range fighter through and through – taijutsu as her main offensive power, then genjutsu if the opponent was stronger, or preferred long-distance jutsu. But there was one thing she lacked – a reliable, fool-proof defense. Neji's Byakugan allowed him to see 360˚ save for one miniscule blind-spot, but Sakura had no such bloodline. If over-powered or outnumbered, she was left defenseless. The rosette hated having a weakness, especially one so obvious and dangerous.

Therefore, for the last three months, she'd been working on the perfect defense which would suit her, and only her. A great deal of planning, research and realistic balancing of odds went into this 'project' of hers, but she was so close to the end she could literally _smell it._

She used something Neji had told her about when they first became friends as inspiration – the Hyuuga's secret Revolving Heaven technique. Sakura knew she could do it; release chakra from all points on her body, but what she needed was something that wouldn't reduce her visibility which she could keep up, perhaps even move with.

So, out in her garden, close to the small forest she'd dubbed as her training grounds, she finally tried out the actual jutsu, all the theory practically engraved into her memory. It was time to see if it would work. Pushing her anxiety into the deepest corners of her mind, Sakura took a deep breath and concentrated.

When she felt relaxed, she slowly let her chakra leek out of her body, still keeping a tight rein on it. She was feeling weary from trying to hold the chakra steady, and she'd only been keeping it up for a few seconds. Afraid to waste too much chakra, she quickly progressed to the second stage – in one quick, smooth movement, she straightened her arms and moved her hands to her sides, while simultaneously solidifying the chakra bubble that surrounded her. Now came the hard part – in order to keep the chakra flowing, at least two parts of the bubble needed to be like normal chakra; fluid-like. It required an immense amount of concentration and careful planning, but in the end, Sakura managed to get the effect she wanted – the part of the bubble in contact with the palm of her hand wasn't solid, and allowed her to keep a steady flow of chakra through the rest of the bubble.

Her arms were starting to ache, but Sakura ignored the pain. She admired the shield of _solid chakra _around her.

_Now, to move…_

She took a tentative step forward, but immediately jerked back – the bubble wouldn't budge. The rosette frowned and wondered if she'd made any mistakes. Nothing came to mind. She gazed intently at the bubble, or rather dome, as the bottom part disappeared under ground, willing it to just shout the answer at her.

Suddenly, it hit her. _The bottom part disappeared underground. Of course. _The bubble was solid. She couldn't move it unless she wanted to rip of the grass and tear through the ground.

Sakura released the chakra and thought of a solution. _I can't have it go into the ground, so as long as I don't release chakra from my feet, it shouldn't go in. _

With that in mind, the rosette tried again, drawing chakra from the very bottom of her coils, this time making sure it didn't go lower than her ankles. She felt exhaustion taking over, but she was determined to finish this. With a dome-like structure surrounding her, she once again took a careful step forward.

Nothing jerked her back.

Sakura allowed herself a smile, but it soon morphed into a happy, victorious laugh, and try as she might, she couldn't stop it. She laughed and laughed, relieved, pleased, and exhausted at the same time. When she finally stopped, she felt her chakra flicker, and the dome disappeared, then came back, but much weaker and thinner than before. Sakura released a huge yawn, her hands shaking and arms dropping as darkness took over her vision, and her knees buckled under her.

Last thing she remembered was her cheek hitting the grass before everything went black.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of something beeping to my right. I tried opening my eyes but immediately shut them as blinding light assaulted my senses. I took a deep breath but regretted it as my chest suddenly contracted and I coughed out warm liquid and felt it dribble down my chin. Wincing, I slowly pried my eyes open and let them adjust to the ridiculously bright light.

_Too_ white walls.

_Too_ hard bed.

_Too_ stifling atmosphere.

_Too_ annoying beeping of a heart monitor.

_Hospital._

That was the one word which my hazy mind could come up with, and I didn't like it one bit. I gathered my courage and steeled myself for the pain, and sat up. Or rather, attempted to sit up, as, almost immediately after I managed to push my torso off the mattress, I felt hands settle on my shoulders and push me back down.

"I don't think so." A stern voice accompanied the gesture. I searched my tired brain for a reason which would explain why it seemed so familiar.

_Ah. It's Kaoru._

I looked up and indeed; I was met with the same long hair, warm brown eyes and genuinely concerned expression I was so used to. The differences were the foreign black bags under his eyes and the fact that his long hair seemed even longer still.

"You gave us quite a scare, Sakura-chan." Another hoarse voice cut through the silence left after Kaoru's words. Akane appeared in my line of vision, his hair also longer and messier; with black bags that stood out against his paler-than-usual skin.

"What happened?" I croaked out.

Kaoru sighed and ran a hand down his face. "You passed out, that's what." He stated bluntly, a hint of anger colouring his words.

I frowned. "What do you mean?" wordlessly, and, quite harshly too, the brunette grabbed the clipboard at the foot of the bed and tossed it to me. My eyes were still blurry so I couldn't read it too well, but what I saw made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Kaoru seemed to notice my shock. "Malnourished. Exhausted. Injured. And suffering from mild hypothermia." He said, eyes boring into mine with a frightening intensity. "That's how we found you two weeks ago. Then, when we brought you to the hospital, they added chakra exhaustion to the list." Unable to look the brunette in the eye, I averted my gaze, suddenly finding the wall very interesting.

I squeaked when two fingers roughly grasped my chin and turned my face back to him. "How do you explain that?"

I tried to remember what I was doing before my world went black. "I was training." I said blankly. "And wait, two weeks? I'd been unconscious for _two weeks?_"

Seeing the horrified look on my face, Akane subtly edged himself between Kaoru and I. "Sakura-chan… you cannot overlook your own well-being for the sake of training." He tried explaining gently.

"…I was trying out something new. And anyway, success is achieved by small things, and repeating them, day in, day out." I defended.

"But that does not mean forgetting to fulfill the most important factors we need to survive. Regardless of your abilities, you're still human, Sakura. I warned you not to act so irresponsible before, and you know that I do not appreciate being ignored."

Everyone turned their heads towards the new voice, and a small smile bloomed on my face when I noticed Neji standing in the doorway; his face a mask of detachment and disapproval, but I could still detect the hint of worry and relief beneath his façade. I felt almost guilty.

"Neji…" I sighed, torn between thankful and annoyed. "What are you-?"

"I came merely to make sure you're alive - Uncle's nagging was becoming quite annoying." He merely shrugged and turned on his heel, but stopped before leaving. "And you might want to know that there are Chunin Exams taking place next week. I'll be expecting you there." With that announcement, he left.

"Hyuuga!" Kaoru's irritated yell followed him, but Neji paid it no heed. Akane was glancing nervously between the taller brunette, the door, and me, clearly unsure of what to or say. Halfway between amused and furious, I turned to Kaoru.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Kaoru-kun?" I asked sweetly, startling the brunette with the honorific. "Perhaps something about the Chunin Exams?"

He sighed and pulled on his hair in frustration, and I heard him mumble something about a '_royal pain-in-the-ass bloody irritating Hyuuga', _but he chucked me the application form nevertheless.

I smirked victoriously.

* * *

I was soon released from the hospital under the threat of the medics notifying the Hokage and making him assign us only D-Ranks if something like that happened again. The rest of the week passed by smoothly and in no time I found myself before the oh-so-familiar doors of the Academy, gazing up at the building with a hint of a smile playing on my lips.

"Reminiscing?" a teasing voice cut through my thoughts and I shot an annoyed look at Kaoru as he approached with the redhead by his side.

"You wish." I deadpanned.

Akane was literally _bouncing _with excitement, trying to free himself from the strong hand on his head Kaoru was restraining him with, a crazy, excited grin on his face.

"It's the Chunin Exams! Finally! Let's take a minute and thank the old man for letting us take it even without our sensei!" he cheered.

Kaoru smacked the redhead around his head. "We will do no such thing." The brunette replied calmly.  
"Aw, you're no fun, Kaoru-chan!" he pouted. "How about you, Sakura-chan?"

I pretend to think about his question. "Though I'm thankful that he let us participate… still no."

Akane sulked while Kaoru smirked and ruffled his hair. "Fine, fine. We're excited. Happy?"

Immediately, the redhead brightened and bounded forward, drawing curious or annoyed glances from the other genin. Kaoru and I sighed simultaneously and followed the hyper teen, exchanging exasperated but amused glances along the way.

When we entered, my senses tingled with the tell-tale sign that there was something I should know about. Just what was it?

"Please tell me you can sense that too." Kaoru muttered to the two of us.

"I can definitely sense _something, _Kaoru-chan, I just can't place my finger on it." Akane replied, and I nodded in agreement with his words.

"It's a genjutsu." The brunette explained. "But it's incredibly weak. We can easily break it if we have to."

I nodded again and motioned to the stairs. "Shall we?"

We climbed the stairs slowly, taking our time seeing as we were quite early, and by the second floor I could feel the literal _slap_ of the genjutsu hit me. It was so obvious, whoever cast it must not have cared that it was so obvious. Or, perhaps they _wanted it to be obvious._

The three of us walked through the corridor, casually walking past the commotion taking place by the fake room 301, until an oh-so-familiar voice interrupted us.

"So, you decided to actually show up." A cool voice called from behind us. I turned around, smirking.

"I couldn't let you down, Neji-chan, not after you took the initiative to come to the hospital and tell me about the exams." I responded seriously.

He scoffed, but I could see he was amused. "It wouldn't have been any fun if I became chunin and you didn't simply because you didn't attend the exams."

I gawked openly, unable to believe that those same words were coming from _my _Neji. The cold, jackass, arrogant Neji I was used to. "That's… strangely considerate of you, Neji-chan. Regardless, I guess I'll see you in the finals, ne?" I teased, a happy grin on my face as I turned on my heel and started walking away, but his voice stopped me.

"Where are you going?" he called out.

I pondered telling him about the genjutsu, but decided against it. I could already sense the Uchiha's chakra and had no doubt the brat would not waste such a perfect opportunity to gloat and show off.

"You'll figure it out soon enough."

And we walked off, to the _real _room 301.

* * *

We stepped through the door after some random chunin congratulated us for getting through the genjutsu. I felt a sudden pang of pain when I realised that it was normally the team's sensei that congratulated them and sent them off.

_Izaya-sensei_…

Just as we walked into the room, I could feel Akane stop in shock, so I poked him lightly in the back, urging him forward. This was not the time to show shock or surprise.

We sat by the window, not too keen to be directly in the way of the incoming genin and not too interested in the commotion taking place in the middle. We sat in silence for a few minutes, and I let my eyes wonder over the faces of the gathered genin in boredom. Some were adults, some teens, most, if not all, older than me. I was about to lose interest and pondered the idea of asking Akane for some sort of game he undoubtedly had with him, when I felt _it_.

The ominous, dark, creepy aura that felt like a slap to the face the moment my eyes connected with the pale jade pools highlighted by the black rings of insomnia. Such _lonely_ eyes… yet so frightening at the same time. They screamed of pain and suffering, yet of a sadistic, monstrous lust for blood too. It was like seeing two different personalities, but those who didn't know better saw only the dark, fearsome side. I could see in my peripheral vision how the genin around him seemed to shrink away.

I didn't dare break the eye-contact.

Because, regardless of the shivers running up and down my spine, I could relate to those empty jaded eyes. Even though they made the redhead look like he wanted to _destroy me _I could not help but smile at the fact that there was somebody like me; with the same eyes.

Our connection was broken by the examiner's sudden appearance. I almost gaped.

_God, Kami-sama, whoever you are, please say that this is not __**Morino Ibiki. **_

* * *

But it was. And he was just as creepy and frightening as I remembered him. I shivered at the memory of one of our missions, where we ended up forcing the captured missing-nin into the T&I department, and bore witness to the various torture methods he used to wring information out of the ninja. I had seen many cruel, gory things in my life, witnessed more deaths than healthy, yet seeing Ibiki render a man defenceless, vulnerable, and all but insane with pain had given me nightmares for a few days.

I never wanted to get on the man's bad side.

After the introduction, we were told that this would be the written examination. Akane sat a few seats in front of me, and I saw him hang his head dejectedly, sighing at his misfortune. I chuckled quietly.

The more Ibiki explained about the test the more I felt like something was weird about it. There were just… too many rules. Or rather, they were very… contradictory. There was the clear message of: _don't cheat or else, _yet at the same time, if caught cheating, they only took off two points...

Unwilling to pursue the matter any longer, I dismissed the thought and concentrated on the paper before me.

My eye twitched. _And how exactly do they expect us to answer this? These questions are out of this world!_

There was very little chance that anybody could answer these questions without making any mistakes – they were too tricky, with too many possible answers. I sighed, gripped my pencil with newfound determination and began writing.

About half an hour later, I felt a familiar, gentle tugging on my consciousness, and when I subtly glanced back I saw Kaoru give me a meaningful look. I turned back to my desk, rested my head on my folded arms, closed my eyes and succumbed to the genjutsu.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I found myself surrounded… by nothing. It was black all around, neither solid, nor liquid. Something almost like… clouds. It soon changed colour to a lighter shade, a dark, stormy purple.

"Well, that's unexpected." I turned abruptly, almost giving myself whiplash from the sudden movement, and saw Akane casually strolling in my direction, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning over our surroundings with almost scientific curiosity. "Kao-chan really outdid himself this time."

"What is this genjutsu?" I asked carefully.

"It's something I created as a means of communication when on missions or in pressing situations. If we were ever taken captive, or couldn't talk, this here is where we'll go." Kaoru's voice rang out before the redhead could answer.

"And where exactly _is _here?" I pressed.

"It's my mind." Kaoru stated simply. Just as he said that, the surroundings changed from the purple gas to what seemed like a beautiful clearing in a forest, with blossoming flowers, and dew glistening on the grass. It seemed so peaceful, serene and so… _Kaoru-like. _

"No wonder it's so girly." Akane snickered, but quietened when I sent him a glower.

"So, what're we were for?" I asked quietly.

"Well, in all honesty, doesn't the test seem a bit fishy to you?" he said, sending me and Akane a meaningful look. I nodded in agreement, but the redhead seemed curious.

"Fishy? They're just pissy about cheating. There's nothing else to it, Kaoru-chan."

"But they're stressing the rules of what happens when you cheat more than anything else! There's something off about that, you've got to admit." The brunette defended.

"Reverse psychology." I muttered off-handedly, drawing both boys' eyes to me. I shrugged. "That's it, isn't it?"

Kaoru smirked in realization. "Of course. The more you tell somebody _not _to do something, the more they'll want to do it."

"That, and weeding out any participants who can't do it subtly and get caught, or cave under pressure." I added thoughtfully.

"So the whole test is just a load of bullshit?" Akane asked, shaking with laughter. "Thank God! I have no clue what these bloody questions want me to do!"

I chuckled, but out of the corner of my eyes I noticed that Kaoru suddenly stilled.

"Well isn't this convenient." A voice rang out, and I froze when I realised it didn't belong to any of us. "Discussing the test,_ in the middle of_ said test. Ah, I'll happily inform Morino-san that the whole team deserves to be disqualified." The chunin who materialized out of nowhere clucked his tongue, looking around with interest. "So intricately made… such precision. This is a good genjutsu, but you're forgetting your place, using that in the middle of the exam."

Kaoru snorted, and smirked, which must have been the most evil expression I'd ever seen on his face.

"And you forgot one very important thing when you invaded this very genjutsu." He grinned at the chuunin as the flowers and grass around him turned into vines and wrapped tightly around the man, immobilizing him. "This is _my _mind." He began as the illusion started melting away, and I watched as everything started to disappear, leaving only Kaoru and the frightened chunin in the middle.

"_I make the rules here!"_

* * *

I snapped back to reality, gasping for breath before I stilled and relaxed. Only five minutes left till the 10th question would be announced. Suddenly, a scream cut through the air, and one of the chunin by my side thrashed madly, before falling off his chair. I smirked when I noticed it was the same chunin who tried to snitch on us. He was quickly carried away towards the infirmary, but as I cast a glance at Kaoru, I couldn't help but snort at the smug, self-satisfied look on the brunette's face.

I wondered what he'd shown the poor chunin.

"To those of you left, I have some good news for you." Ibiki's voice rang through the room, the 78 genin left snapping to attention.

"You all passed the first stage of the exams."

* * *

**And it's done! Next chapter will be Anko and the dreaded Forest of Death! Hope you all enjoyed this, and see you soon!**

**Review please!**


	16. Exams: II

**As always, thank you so much for the amazing feedback! I hope this chapter is up to standard!**

* * *

We were soon shepherded into a massive clearing just outside the village borders. There was a massive, fenced-off forest, and an old, chipping tag on the metal fence claimed that it was Training Ground Forty-Four. Below that, in what could have only been blood, somebody had scribbled '_The Forest of Death'. _I scoffed.

Suddenly, there was a poof of smoke, and, to my surprise, Anko appeared, and in true Anko-style, proceeded to freak out the genin even more.

"Alright brats! I'll be your proctor for this exam! You can bet that when I'm done with you, less than a half will be left!" around me I could see people gulping, some shivering in fear and whispering between themselves, but I could only gape at the woman with disbelief and exchange incredulous glances with my teammates.

Because, in all honesty, Anko, a _proctor_? Anko, doing something _important_? Something _responsible_? Something which would potentially determine how other villages will view Konoha? What _idiot_ came up with _that_ idea?!

Due to my surprise, I didn't really catch much of what she was saying, but I could see Kaoru was paying attention, so I guessed we were safe. Suddenly, a sheet of paper was shoved into my hands, and I absently grabbed it before passing down the rest. Only after I heard Akane's gasp from beside me did I look down at it.

_Consent Form._

_I hereby state the Hidden Leaf Village will not be held responsible if my team or myself do not survive the Exam._

_Signed: _

I stifled a bitter chuckle. Even in a life-or-death situation, the village was still worried about _politics. _I turned to Kaoru and saw he was looking at me with a curious expression. I raised an eyebrow.

"You seem… perturbed." He explained. I shrugged it off and instead pointed at the forest before us, wordlessly questioning.

"We're to get through the forest and into the tower in the middle, all the while fighting for the scrolls Anko's holding." He paused to point at said scrolls. "All within a five-day time limit. It's an all-goes test."

I nodded, absorbing the information. "And I suppose we'll only get given one scroll, so we have to steal another from some other team?" I asked.

"So you _were _paying attention." He remarked teasingly.

I waved him off. "Not really. It's just a simple way to make sure what she said will come true and only half of us _will_ pass." I paused for a second. "And to piss people off."

The brunette gave an exasperated sigh before he suddenly looked around and frowned. "Where's Akane?"

Having only just realised that our hyper redhead was missing, all I could do was shrug hopelessly, though inwardly I was bristling at the fact that I hadn't sensed him leave us. Kaoru noticed my shrug and frowned.

"Right. Well, I'm going to go and look for him. Fill out the form then meet me here in a few minutes." Without so much as waiting for my confirmation, he shunshin'ed away, leaving me to sign the sheet and assess our competition.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you here."

I turned around, a smirk plastered on my face. I knew that voice. "Anko. To be honest, it was quite a surprise to see _you_ doing something so responsible too." I teased.

"Oi, little brat! Don't push your luck!" Anko snapped, indignant. "But seriously, I expected the three of you to be jounin already. You're telling me you've been genin for the past year since I last saw you?"

The smirk faded from my face. "Yeah… there were some… setbacks." I muttered, looking down. By 'setbacks' I meant sensei's… disappearance.

"Ah." She seemed to immediately understand what I meant. "Well, then you better not disappoint the Hokage and pass, since he so generously allowed you to take part even without a sensei." She taunted.

In all honesty, I didn't care about the old man and whether he would be disappointed. I was doing this for _myself. _Selfish, yes, but I had never _denied_ being selfish.

"Hey, kid? Kid, you there?" a hand clutching a dango stick was waved in front of my face, and I reacted before I even realised what I was doing; my hand quickly shot out and pushed one of the dumplings off the stick, before catching it on the senbon held in my other hand and stuffing the sweet into my mouth.

Anko gaped at me, incredulous.

"You called me a kid." I mumbled around the food in my mouth.

The jounin's eyes narrowed. "Little brat." But she seemed to have noticed something over my shoulder and smirked, winking down at me before she disappeared. I followed her line of sight and noticed a very familiar brunette coming my way. I mirrored Anko's smirk.

"Sakura." Neji called. I raised a brow and moved towards him, curious. I could see that his shoulders were tense and he kept shooting glances at the forest. So, I wasn't the only one who didn't like the vibe it was giving off. Good.

When I was close enough, he leaned down to be on my level and whispered. "If you get into trouble, spike your chakra, and I promise I'll be there."

Momentarily stunned by how genuine his words sounded, it took me a few seconds to reply. "Yeah, Neji, and so will all of my enemies." I answered sceptically, trying to mask how touched I was by his words with cynicism.

"Sakura, don't make this harder than it has to be." He warned, lilac eyes piercing through me. Yet now, instead of worried, his words sounded patronising, and I didn't like that one bit.

"Don't '_Sakura'_ me, Neji. I'll be careful, but this _is_ a test. I can't promise you that I won't get hurt." I defended,

He sighed and sent me a small glare. "Ugh. Fine." He relented, visibly annoyed. "So, uh, good luck, flea." He muttered, a light pink dusting the bridge of his nose as he turned away to hide it.

I snickered. "To you too. Don't die, Neji-chan." I called after his retreating back and heard him snort and mumble something that sounded suspiciously like '_I wouldn't dream of it'_.

I smirked and turned to the Forest with new-found determination.

_We __**will**__ pass this. That is a promise. _

* * *

Not too long after my conversation with Neji, my teammates and I reunited by the small registry and handed in our consent forms. We were given a Heaven Scroll, and we pondered over who should take it.

I immediately declined the suggestion that I should take it, explaining that, being a close-range fighter, it was the most likely I would lose it. Akane, with a sudden stroke of genius, decided that he should keep it because he could seal it in his scroll. Needless to say, Kaoru and I immediately agreed.

It turned out we were the last ones to receive our scroll, and as we moved over to the only empty gate left, number thirty-three, I motioned for the boys to lean down to whisper in their ear.

"OK, the plan is this: I will run ahead as fast as I can and secure us a safe path, straight to the tower. I'll try to cover it with traps and genjutsu, but mostly, I'll just make sure nobody will get in our way. In the meantime, your job is to search for baby teams, or those who would rather sit by the start until everyone had spread out, and see if they happen to have an Earth Scroll. Just be sure to get back to the gate in less than twenty minutes after we start. I should be back by then."

I gave them a few seconds to digest what I had just told them, and grinned slightly when I received twin nods in return. Great. The plan was spontaneous and definitely not one of my best, but it was the only way I could pacify the small part of me that screamed _danger _the closer we got to the forest – the less time we spent in it, the better.

Suddenly, the gates sprung open, and, with one final look at my teammates, I raced ahead, before other teams had so much as realised we could start.

The forest gave me shivers; that much I could not deny.

Yes, it was selfish to leave my teammates to hunt for weaklings, but I had already said – I was selfish. The forest didn't sit right with me, so I would do my best to make sure I didn't have to spend any longer in it than I physically had to.

Due to my inner musings and justifying my cowardice, I barely managed to slow myself down as the red brick tower came into view. Having encountered nothing but the typical flora and fauna, I deemed the path I took safe, and turned on my heel to start the journey back, and began the genjutsu. It was simple, really, just a small, amateur technique, but I made multiple layers, and that was what I was hoping would confuse those who came across it. Not the quality, but the sheer _quantity. _

I also set small traps here and there; I prided myself on my traps. They were barely noticeable, some would even call them useless, but they had never failed me, so I continued relying on them. Traps set, I ran back as fast as I could, but still considerably slower than before due to having to maintain the genjutsu.

On the way back, I came across two genin, who, probably like myself, went to scan the area. And it was my job to make sure they wouldn't be coming back. But I was feeling kind, which was why, instead of aiming the kunai at their head or the jugular, I merely hit them in the stomach, leaving them knocked-out and bleeding, but not dead.  
Unwilling to face more genin which I would have to incapacitate, I sped up my pace even more, to the point where I could feel the genjutsu losing some of its layers, yet I couldn't bring myself to care, because not thirty seconds later, I saw Akane and Kaoru waiting for me in the agreed place, both with three scrolls in their hands.

"We got a little impatient, I guess-" Kaoru offered as means of explanation.

"And greedy." Akane added with a grin.

"And, Kami above, if it was so easy to take them from those kids-"

"-Then they should seriously reconsider taking part in this exam." The redhead finished, a challenging gleam in his eyes.

I was suddenly struck with how _close _the two had become - at the beginning, they were two completely different people, with different personalities, views and perspectives. And now, they were finishing each other's sentences. I felt a small pang in my chest which felt like... _Loneliness? _I didn't know. But I dismissed it, turning to my teammates with what I hoped was a confident look.

"Well, I can feel somebody trying to break through my genjutsu, so we better hurry." I lied easily, the words coming out much colder than I intended.

Kaoru and Akane stopped laughing almost immediately, the happiness disappearing from their eyes, instead replaced by the icy readiness I began to associate with our darkest missions.

"Let's go then." Kaoru murmured, his voice steady.

"Yeah." Akane agreed hollowly. "Let's go."

I turned on my heel and ran back towards the tower, this time even slower than before since neither Akane nor Kaoru could maintain my pace for that long without exhausting themselves.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, what should we do with those extra scrolls?" Akane caught up with me and asked, though I could see he was slightly uneasy. Was it because of me?

I pondered his question for the grand total of three seconds before; "Burn them." I commanded simply.

"Huh?" the redhead's eyes widened, obviously not expecting that answer.

"Burn them." I repeated, aiming for my voice to sound final. "The less scrolls there are for the taking, the less unworthy participants will qualify." I explained.

"But… that's kind of unfair, don't you think?" he asked meekly, seeming hesitant.

"Just do what she says, Akane." Kaoru's voice filtered in from the back, as if he sensed my irritable mood, and the redhead bowed his head obediently and stopped running to find a place to burn them. I stopped as well and tried to strengthen my genjutsu, just to have something to do.

"Are you OK, Sakura?" I fought a flinch when Kaoru's warm breath hit my ear. I took a few steps back before I turned around so we were face to face, once again bewildered by the fact that I did not sense him.

"What do you mean?" I asked, and cursed myself for sounding so defensive.

"Well," the brunette took a deep breath. "I'm going to be blunt; you've been acting strange ever since we got back from the Land of Waves."

I gazed at Kaoru intently, grinning inwardly when I noticed it made him uncomfortable. He looked away, not able to stand the tension. I took pity on him.

"I appreciate your concern," I began, and saw his gaze snap to me so quickly I could hear his neck crack, eyes looking hopeful. I felt _almost _guilty for what followed. "But it's meaningless. I'm sure you've already figured out why I have been acting differently, and you _know_ you can't do anything about it. I just realised something I should've realised a long time ago. I've simply been working on that."

He nodded, looking dejected, and out of the corner of my eye I noticed that Akane had finished burning the scrolls, so I turned around ready to continue running, but Kaoru's voice stopped me.

"Sakura." I froze and turned around, curious. He was looking directly at me, and I couldn't help the shiver that ran down my back. "You'll never be weak."

I thought I was prepared for whatever he had to say, but those words had my eyes widening and shock broke through my perfect mask of indifference. Worst thing? I couldn't even stop it. The brunette probably had no idea how much his words affected me – scratch that, he did. The knowing glint in his eyes was unmistakeable; I was right. He had figured me out.

I wiped furiously at my eyes, and the traitorous wetness that had gathered there, turned on my heel and fled, only half caring if my teammates followed me or not.

* * *

Yet not five minutes later, we stopped again. I sensed something odd; the Uchiha's chakra – not that I cared about the brat – but there was an enormous, ominous chakra right next to him. I tracked it, not caring that we had to move off the path I had so precariously set for us. When it felt like I was literally _inches from him, _I stopped. Not seeing the raven anywhere, I looked up.

My heart stopped.

Not five metres from the Uchiha stood the vilest man I ever had the displeasure to look at. His skin was deathly pale, eyes yellow with slit pupils, and he had long, messy raven hair. But I recognised him.

How could I not, seeing as his face was all over the Bingo Books, and our history scrolls?

_Orochimaru. _An ex-Konoha shinobi, part of the Legendary Sannin together with Tsunade and Jiraya, and now, a missing nin and S-Ranked criminal.

But, most importantly;

"…_Orochimaru came out and I'd warned Urisui not to challenge him and stay, that we had to run, to report, but our teammate was caught and the stupid snowflake couldn't just let his teammate be sacrificed and had to run and save him and Orochimaru knew, and-_oh god_, he_knew…!"

My father's murderer.

I had half the mind to just forget everything else and go join the Uchiha. I wanted that man dead. An eye for an eye.

But I forcefully dismissed that thought. I would have my chance. I would make sure of that. Just not yet. Right now, I needed to get stronger for when I _do_ face the Sannin.

Instead, I looked around, scanning for the Uchiha's teammates. I quickly found the blonde, unconscious and attached to a tree, and the girl, standing in the middle of the branch, crying and biting her nails. Useless.

I scowled.

I didn't know what compelled me to do so, but two seconds later I had thrown a senbon, the most inconspicuous weapon I owned, at the girl, not aiming to injure as it shot just millimetres away from her head, but to grab her attention. I succeeded, and her gaze snapped to me. I waved my other hand, in which I clutched a bunch of exploding tags, an impromptu plan already forming in my mind, and pointed at the snake Sannin, and then at her and the blonde. The message was clear – _I'll wreak some havoc so you can go get your teammate._

She seemed surprised, but then smiled through her tears and nodded, settling into a crouch. I quickly emptied my pouch and chose all the weapons I had which would work for the long-range attack I was planning. I was left with explosive tags, smoke bombs, poison-tipped needles, and a small shuriken, which was covered with seals that would make it explode upon contact. I smirked.

I looked up, making sure that I had Hikari's attention, and nodded. She jumped just as I threw two smoke bombs between Sasuke and Orochimaru. Almost immediately, so as not to waste the precious seconds of confusion the sudden attack had granted, I threw the exploding tags in the general direction of the Sannin, then closed my eyes and concentrated to hear where he had moved to. I heard him land and threw the explosive shuriken to confirm his location. A curse was my answer. My smirk grew.

I pulled my sleeve up and quickly slotted the poisoned needles onto the self-launching machine, aimed, and fired.

For a few precious seconds, there was only silence, and then, to my horror, instead of in front, I felt movement _behind_ me. I turned around so quickly it hurt, but it wasn't quick enough – the snake was already behind me, his jutsu keeping me still.

"Hm, poison." His voice, so low and slithering, struck me like a slap to the face when I noticed just what it was he was holding; one of my poisoned senbon, the green powder still visible even in the dim light of the forest. "You remind me of my old partner… Did you make it yourself?" I hated his child-like, disinterested voice.

Keeping my glare fixed on him, I shook my head.

"Hm, didn't think so." I fought of the wince when he started to get closer, and stretched out his kunai-holding hand, getting closer and closer towards my throat. "I will admit, your attack was impressive." He smirked, his ridiculously long tongue coming out to lick at his lips in an obscene fashion. "But it was useless. I've succeeded in making the Uchiha into my puppet." He paused and took in my angry expression. "Ohohoho," he chuckled. "This wasn't about the Uchiha, was it? It was about your _dearest daddy, _right, _Sakura_?"

My eyes, if they could, would be popping out of my sockets. And he knew. He could see my surprise and he _laughed_. "Oh, yes. I remember. Your dad was _especially _brave. Too bad he had to die. He could've been a good vessel."

I was bristling with anger. "_You _killed him, you bastard!" I snarled angrily.

But the snake just seemed amused. "Oh, yes, I did, didn't I? I killed your father, therefore I'm _sure_ I will enjoy killing _you_, too." There was a sadistic smirk accompanying his words now, and I _almost _shivered.

I had never felt more afraid than I did at that moment.

"I'm afraid there isn't going to be any killing of my teammate happening anytime soon."

I gasped in surprise and relief, while the snake's head snapped back in annoyance, in the direction where Kaoru's voice was coming from.

"You see, we're quite fond of her, so if you so much as touch her, I'll kill you." His tone was deceptively pleasant, and I could imagine the fake eye smile he was undoubtedly sending Orochimaru's way, but the threat was clear.

Orochimaru scowled, but his temporary distraction was all I needed to use what I had been working on for the past month - I twisted my palms up, using the minimal movement the binds allowed me, and called on my chakra. Immediately, I felt whatever jutsu Orochimaru was using to immobilize me break, and the Sannin himself was pushed back with the chakra dome I had created.

My confidence quickly returned to me and I dismissed the jutsu and hurried after him, using the last of my strength to pierce a kunai through his heart. I sighed, relieved, but my victory was short-lived for not a second later the Sannin melted away into a pile of mud. _A clone. _I thought, irritated.  
But I had no time to feel sorry for myself as Kaoru was already moving in my direction, his long legs reducing the distance between in mere seconds. When he got close enough, he seized me by the shoulders and shook me roughly.

"What on earth was that?" he demanded through gritted teeth. I feigned innocence, gazing up at him blankly even though my heart was beating a mile a minute. "Don't look at me like that, you know exactly what I'm talking about!" he yelled. "That dome you created just a second ago. What was it?"

I grit my teeth, biting my tongue to stop the snarky remark which was about to come out. Instead, I schooled my features into the mask of polite detachment and replied, my voice icy. "That was what I had spent the last month working on. My ultimate defence."

Kaoru frowned, sharing a quick look with Akane who turned to me, face betraying concern. "And, um, how does it work?" the redhead asked carefully.

I smirked coldly. "That's for me to know and you to find out." I ignored Kaoru's hurt look and turned on my heel to leave, but a voice in my mind stopped me.

**Aren't you going to thank them?**

I barely stopped myself from jumping in surprise. Inner. I had forgotten about her.

_And why would I do that?_

**Well, for one, they had just saved your life. **How could Inner sound so bitter? She was _in my head. _She wasn't supposed to be angry at me. **And secondly, Kaoru **_**is **_**right. You have been more pissy than the Uchiha on a period ever since we got back from the Land of Waves.**

I froze in my tracks. Having Kaoru tell me that I was acting weird I could understand. He was an outsider, and even if I considered him a friend, he could never know how much I was going through. But Inner? _My _Inner?

_That_ hurt.

_Have I been…overreacting? _

**Honestly? Overreacting doesn't cover it. Has Haku's death truly affected you so much, Outer? 'Cause I've been sifting through our memories and there aren't any which could justify you acting like that. And though it pains me to say, seeing as I **_**am **_**you, I still don't understand what is actually wrong. **

Inner had posed a very important question. Why _was _I feeling so betrayed, so angry all the time? Why was I hurting so much?

_I… I don't know, Inner. It's everything mashed together, I guess. It has finally gotten to the point where I can't stand it anymore. Dad's death, Haku's death, Neji's… indifference? Kaoru and Akane seem like they hate me, suspect me. I feel so… weak, and I hate it. So, I tried distancing myself. I need to protect myself, Inner. I can't afford to get hurt like that again. _

**Listen to yourself! **Inner snapped, and this time I did jump. **You sound as if you'd given up on life, like you'd seen it all, lived it all through! But you haven't! You can't shy away from love, from people, simply because you're afraid of getting hurt! Kaoru and Akane saved your life – don't waste it! Apologise to them, explain it to them! They don't hate you or suspect you, they're confused because you don't tell them anything! And Neji? Just before the test he pretty much offered to be your Prince Charming and come save you if you get into trouble; that obviously means he cares for you!**

I ignored Kaoru's concerned voice asking if I was alright as I realised that everything Inner had said was true. My mind set, I pivoted on my heel and found myself face to face with the brunette for the second time that day. Quickly, before my mind could catch up and scream how bad of an idea this really was, I pulled him and Akane to me and wrapped my arms around them in a desperate hug.

I could feel both boys stiffen slightly at the unexpected contact, but they relaxed a few seconds later and Kaoru gave a short chuckle before he wrapped his arms around me as well. Akane followed his example almost immediately.

After a few seconds, Kaoru spoke. "Not that I've got anything against spontaneous hugs in the middle of an enemy-filled forest, but what brought this on?" he asked curiously as Akane snorted.

"Shut up." I grumbled. "Hug now, questions when we get to the Tower. I promise I'll explain everything to you then."

They seemed surprised by my words, but both chuckled and let go. We smiled, a true, genuine smile forming on my lips for the first time in what seemed like ages, before the smile disappeared and I frowned.

_Uh-oh._

"Someone broke the genjutsu." I muttered, and Kaoru cursed quietly while Akane frowned, worried.

"Any ideas?" the redhead asked, referring to what we should do next.

"Yeah." Kaoru smirked, raising his hand up in a mocking fashion as he spoke. "How about running to the Tower as fast as we physically can before anybody realises we're here and tries to take advantage? I've had enough creepy snakes and battling for our lives for one day, thank you very much."

I chuckled lightly and nodded. "I agree. Let's go." I turned and ran, tracing my steps back to the Tower.

Feeling the trepidation of confessing everything to Akane and Kaoru slowly melt away, I grinned and sped up even more, pleased when both boys also sped up and we ran alongside each other, like a real team. Akane was starting to sweat, while Kaoru's breath was coming in short, quick pants, but neither of them complained.

_Perhaps you were right, Inner._

**I'm you. I'm always right.**

* * *

We got to the Tower in record time, but the moment we stepped inside, Akane collapsed and lay on the floor, motionless.

"Never… again." He groaned pitifully, still sweating from the running. I turned towards him with an arched brow, not in the slightest affected by the run.

"Something wrong, Akane?" I asked teasingly. The redhead mustered enough effort to lift up his head and send me a murderous glare. "Shut up." He hissed, before his forehead once again thumped against the floor.

"Hey, have you seen this?" Kaoru's voice drifted over to us, and I stayed long enough to hear Akane's tired groan of; "Whatever it is, screw it. I'm too tired…" before I walked over to stand beside the brunette.

"What have you got, Kaoru?"

He pointed at the canvas hanging on the wall and read out the text. "Listen to this:_If qualities of Heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If Earth qualities are what you lack, train your body, prepare to attack. When Heaven and Earth are opened together, perilous path will become righteous forever. This _something_ is the secret way that guides us to this path today."_

"What the hell is that 'something'?" it turned out that in the meantime, Akane had crawled over to us and, though still lying on the floor, turned on his back so he could look up at us.

"I wouldn't worry about that at the moment." I muttered. "More about the fact that it says '_When Heaven and Earth are opened together_…' should we open the scrolls?"

Akane sent me a dubious look from his position on the floor. "Uh, bad idea, anyone? High chance of getting your brains turned to mush by opening the scrolls? Anko's '_you shall not open or you'll die a slow and painful death'_? have you forgotten about that?"

"Only during the exam." Kaoru pointed out, smirking. "We've _finished _the exam. We're at the Tower, aren't we?"

"Uh, alright. Here." The redhead tossed me the scroll and renewed his effort in crawling, this time _away _from us. "Enjoy getting your brains blown out by crazy octopus thingies which are bound to spring out of that thing and strangle you."

'**Crazy octopus thingies'?! **Inner was laughing her head off. **What is he, like, three?**

Kaoru and I exchanged incredulous looks before we sent a quick prayer to Kami-sama, and opened the scrolls. I squinted at the seal which was suddenly expanding, before I emitted something close to a surprised gasp-slash-shriek and threw the scroll away from us, urging Kaoru to do the same. I thanked my reflexes, for, not five seconds later a chunin materialised out of the blue, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Well, it seems like Anko was wrong." He muttered to himself. "This year's participants seem to be quite strong. Beating the record by…" he checked his watch. "By four and a half hours." He whistled. "What can I say, brats, whoever your sensei is, he certainly taught you well."

Immediately, the temperature in the room dropped by twenty degrees. Seeing as neither of my teammates were going to speak up as they were too busy glaring holes into the man's head, I answered.

"Our sensei is Izaya. And I would appreciate if you didn't call us brats." I said coldly, revelling in how the chunin's eyes widened comically.

"I-Izaya's genin? Izaya's _team? You're _Team 13?" at our solemn nods, he just gaped. "Well, no wonder you beat the record. You're Konoha's legendary genin team." He snorted and seemed to regain his composure. "Well, you passed. Well done, though there's not much surprise here. Due to your impossibly fast time of completing the test, you get four days' rest before the third part of the test begins. There are rooms upstairs, toilets, and a kitchen you're permitted to use. If you need help, spike your chakra and somebody will come. Yadda yadda, get some rest." And he disappeared.

I exchanged amused glances with my teammates. "So, four days' worth of resting… sounds like fun."

"Yeah, enough time for you to explain everything you've been keeping from us." Kaoru pointed out. I smiled slightly.

"All in due time, Kaoru-chan." I teased.

"Hey, how long do you think we've been in the forest? He said we beat the old record by four and a half hours." Akane was in his own little world, like always. It made my smile grow as Kaoru sighed dramatically.

"We haven't been in the forest for long. Roughly an hour, I would say. It took us twenty minutes to get started, then the snake came along, but due to Sakura's _ridiculous _pace, we travelled five kilometres in less than half an hour." Kaoru explained. "So the previous record holders must've done it in… five and a half hours? God, that's long. What were they doing, sightseeing?" I snorted at the last question, wondering when Kaoru had become so sarcastic.

"Not much to see apart from creepy-crawlies and carnivorous flowers. Not the best scenery, I would imagine." Akane replied, half serious though his tone was also dripping with sarcasm.

"OK, OK, stop showing off. We're going to get some rest, and trust me, you'll need it, because there will be a lot of things you'll have to get your heads around." I hurried them along, because, truth be told, doing fifteen kilometres in an hour and fighting an ex-Sannin still took its toll on my body, and the prospect of literally spilling out my soul in the next few minutes wasn't making things any brighter for me.

* * *

Awkward, disbelieving silence stole over the room after my lengthy explanation of _why, how _and_ because. _I was cursing inwardly. I knew I should've kept my mouth shut. There were some things Kaoru and Akane simply weren't _prepared _for, weren't supposed to realise and know. But now, they knew that the reason I tried to keep them in the dark was to keep them safe. Safe, and oblivious for as long as I could manage.

I was staring at the floor, begging for the floor to open and swallow me up, when I suddenly felt two pairs of arms wrapping around my body and enveloping me in a warm embrace.

"And you thought that we would hate you after this?" Kaoru's quiet voice whispered into my ear. "You know, for a genius, you can be quite stupid sometimes, Sakura-chan."

I chuckled, fighting the tears that threatened to spill. "Be happy I can't hit you right now, Kaoru-chan." I threatened weakly.

"Funny. But seriously, Sakura-chan." Akane spoke from the other side. "We could _never _hate you. You're our little pinky, our friend, and leader. We love you."

_Screw composure._

I let the tears spill, knowing that even if they see, they won't care. I had never felt so glad for graduating early as I did now. I didn't know what I would've done if it weren't for Akane and Kaoru.

"I love you guys too." I whispered, but I knew they heard me.

"Good. 'Cause we sure as hell aren't letting you go anytime soon."

* * *

**And… *drumroll* TA-DA!**

**I tried to get this chapter out as soon as I could, but the words just kept coming, and I had so many plans for this particular chapter, which is why it turned out so long and so late. Sorry, and thanks for reading!**

**I promise I'll show what Kaoru showed the chunin in the next chapter, for those of you who wanted to know!**

**I would love to hear your opinions on this chapter!**

**REVIEW!**


	17. Exams: III

**Well, once again, a massive THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed last chapter! It was great to read all the feedback. I'm sorry if this story isn't perfect – I know it has a lot of room for improvement, so a thank you to those who point out the mistakes and help me along.  
The beginning is there because, damn, I couldn't resist. I love writing Akane and Kaoru together - I haven't developed their characters as much as I should've had in the beginning, so now this plot bunny won't go away... Eh. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Kaoru stirred slightly before he groaned, his neck feeling five hundred different types of uncomfortable. He felt a light pressure on his chest and side, and he looked down to check what it was; his eyes widened when he noticed two heads of pink and red, respectively.

The events of the day before came flooding back, and the brunette felt a smile pulling on the corners of his mouth. They must've all fallen asleep at some point, and it was just his luck that he was chosen as the cushion. He tried to wiggle free, being extra careful about how he moved in order to not wake up his teammates. He managed to move Sakura's head to the pillow without waking her up, but moving Akane seemed a lot more complicated – his head was on Kaoru's stomach, hands clutching his shirt in an iron grip and the brunette took pity on him and stopped moving, because Akane looked so calm and relaxed when he slept. _Without_ nonsense spewing from his mouth every three seconds and sarcastic remarks, but _wait, was he dribbling? _Any thoughts he might've had about letting the redhead sleep immediately disappeared, and Kaoru gave a none-too-gentle shove which succeeded in getting Akane's head off of his stomach, but also caused the redhead's head to thump against the wall, thereby waking him up.

"Ow… five more minutes…" Kaoru tried to stop it, he really did, but he couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing. The sudden sound startled Akane, making him jump and forcefully pry his eyes open. "Huh…? Oh, hey, Kaoru-chan. Whatcha doing here?" the redhead mumbled sleepily.

Kaoru snorted. "You fell asleep on me, you baka." He enlightened the smaller teen.

"Mmhmm… wait, really?" seeming to only just realise his position, Akane giggled happily. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you were a really comfy pillow, Kaoru-chan." He teased.

"Oi, watch what you're saying!" Kaoru chastised, but there was no real bite behind his words.

"Yes, mother. Sorry, mother." Akane mocked in reply.

The two shared a laugh and the redhead rested his head on Kaoru's stomach, this time fully conscious, and he brunette briefly considered pushing him off, just for the fun of it, but decided against it.

"Should we wake her up?" Akane asked, and Kaoru belatedly realised that he was referring to their still asleep pink-haired teammate.

"No, let her sleep. I'm pretty sure it's the first decent night's sleep she's gotten in a while." Kaoru retorted.

"Huh? How can you tell?"

"Well, mainly because it's already ten o'clock and she's still out cold." The brunette replied in a '_duh' _tone. Akane rolled his eyes, catching onto the mocking tone, but before he could come up with a biting retort, his stomach growled like a fell beast making Kaoru chuckle, and the redhead blushed, half in embarrassment, half in annoyance. "Come on, you idiot. We're going to find some food."

At the prospect of food, Akane brightened up and leapt off the bed, readjusting his scroll while Kaoru made sure the duvet around Sakura was tucked in and the rosette herself was still asleep.

"Right. Let's go."

* * *

When Sakura woke up, she was feeling much better than she had in a while; she was warm, comfortable, and well-rested. She opened her eyes and took a minute to take in her surroundings, letting the events of the previous day filter through. The rosette sighed happily, glad that there was no imminent danger, or wounded teammates who needed tending to, or a creepy snake Sannin trying to kill her. For once she could just _rest. _Rest, without a care in the world about anything.

But she knew she had to get out of bed at some point, because her stomach was screaming at her to get some food, and she had a really bad craving for dango. Although she regretted her decision the moment she pulled the blankets off of herself and felt just how cold the room was, she ploughed on and walked out of the room in search of the kitchen.

Five minutes of searching later, she stopped. No, she wasn't lost. Sakura Haruno was _never _lost. She was just… mapping out the site; that was it. Suddenly, she sensed it.

The same, monstrous chakra she felt back at the first exam, and she was _distinctly_ aware of who it belonged to. Sakura could feel eyes on her, and as much as her pride didn't want to let her admit it, it made her uncomfortable. She grit her teeth, pushed down her fear, and turned around.

Insomnia-rimmed jade eyes stared at her, eyes that unsettled her so because they reminded Sakura of herself. Only _his_ eyes showed that he bottled it all in, because he didn't have anybody who could help him. Yes, Sakura was all too familiar with his eyes; _cold, empty, lonely, selfish, hateful. _

But she wouldn't let _emotions _unsettle her. She collected herself, squared her shoulders and arched an eyebrow at the still redhead. "Yes?" she asked, voice void of emotion.

For a while - Sakura didn't know how long; minutes, maybe hours - it was silent. His gaze bore into her, burning a hole in her mind, trying, and perhaps succeeding, in reading her. Finally, she got a response.

"I want to _crush_ you." The redhead hissed, eyes flashing dangerously. And the rosette had no doubts he would, because his eyes didn't lie – he _was _dangerous. But Sakura had always, for some odd reason, _liked_ danger.

"I would like to see you _try." _She snarled back, a smirk pulling at her lips. The redhead's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, then almost immediately narrowed at the challenge. Before Sakura could so much as blink, thin tendrils of _sand _shot towards her, wrapping around her chest in a deathly grip, almost crushing her ribcage, and still tightening.

But he made the mistake of leaving her hands free, and Sakura wasted no time in twisting them up and creating her chakra dome, the solid chakra pushing the sand away and keeping it at a safe distance. The redhead, seeing his attack was blocked, pulled his sand back, but it was coiling like a snake, almost restless, at his feet, and Sakura could tell he wouldn't hesitate to use it. Keeping that in mind, she took the dome down, but was still prepared in case he decided to attack.

Sakura, not one to be outdone, decided to return the favour. Quicker than the redhead thought possible, she sprung up and was beside him, a kunai aiming at his abdomen. Gaara felt something trying to pierce through his clothes, but the sand reacted quickly, catching the kunai seconds before it could do any real damage.

They stood there, in silence, for a few seconds, neither moving, or trying to attack. The moment of aggression was gone, and instead they just stared at each other, jade on jade. Finally, Sakura forced herself to straighten and step back, smirking.

"So I guess I'm not the only one who has an impenetrable defence." She observed off-handedly, gauging the redhead's reaction. When all he did was stare, she decided it was safe and he wouldn't try to kill her. She took a deep breath, and addressed the issue which had been on her mind ever since she first laid her eyes on the redhead. "I do not know who or what you hate so much." She started, and his eyes widened at the fact that she wasn't running away. Not only that, she was _talking_ to him. Gaara struggled to remember a time when somebody last talked to him without quivering in fear. It had to be… _Yashamaru._

"But you must know that blind hatred won't lead you anywhere." Sakura inwardly chuckled at how similar this speech was to the one she had given four years ago. The circumstances were similar, she supposed, and yet she couldn't help but feel like a hypocrite. "Whether you hate because of the _beast's _influence, or because of your past, I don't know. But I _do _know what it feels like to hate. And it is pointless; instead of protecting yourself, you _get_ hurt." With that, the rosette turned on her heel, fully intent on leaving, but something caught her ankle. She looked down. _Sand. _

"Don't… pretend like you know me." His voice, hoarse and raw with… _something _Sakura couldn't identify, rang in her ears. "I live _only_ for myself, and fight _only_ for myself. I hate, because hatred sheds a light on the pain and darkness caused by the constant loneliness. I hate because it makes me _stronger_." Sakura stood still, petrified. She used to have the same mind-set as him. Now it was gone, because she had Akane and Kaoru. But he had no one, she could tell. She could see in his eyes the same lonely, lost expression she had after her father's death. She held her breath as the redhead continued. "You have the same eyes as I do… the eyes, filled with hatred and death, that long for strength… just like mine… your eyes tell me how badly you wish to kill the one who put you through the hell called loneliness… just like I do!"

Sakura flinched. So, he had noticed what she had seen the first time. He noticed how similar they were. But he was wrong. She didn't hate anymore. She refused to live the life filled with loneliness and pain.

"Perhaps that was true… once. A long time ago. But not now." She replied quietly, trying to convince herself at the same time. "Now, I have a purpose. Now, I have a _dream_!"

The rosette heard a scoff behind her. "All that pointless talk of dreams and ambitions." The redhead spat the two words like they burned him. "What is the point of dreams if you cannot pursue them because your village views you as a tool, or a liability?"

Sick of the conversation, Sakura decided to go for the main strike. "Just because you're a Jinchuuriki does not make you a monster, or a tool." She whispered softly. Immediately, the sand around her ankle tightened so much she had to stifle a gasp of pain, and jerked her back to face the redhead.

His eyes blazed and he released an almost animalistic growl. "My father has been trying to get rid of me since I was six. He sends assassins, puts explosive tags under my beds, poisons my food. He created me as a tool to save the village, but now he and the whole village despise me, fear me. Now I'm a _liability_." He snarled. "So tell me, what impression does that give you? The only possible conclusion you can reach is that I am a monster, a broken tool. And I am _not_ one to disappoint."

Sakura stood in silence, momentarily speechless. Gaara noticed that, and smirked coldly, a bitter look of understanding in his eyes. "You _can't_ deny that. You have a way with words, probably the only reason I haven't killed you yet, but even you can't deny the inevitable; I _live _to kill. That is the sole purpose of my existence."

The rosette shook her head. Although she was determined to get to the bottom of this, she knew when she had pushed too much. Therefore, instead of replying and further aggravating the redhead, she almost lazily, channelled chakra into her captured ankle, breaking the sand's hold on her and taking a few steps away from Gaara. "I refuse to believe that is the only reason, your only purpose."

The redhead blinked, but the glare didn't leave his eyes. "Why do you care?" he hissed.

Sakura gave a small, bitter smile. "Because you _were_ right. I used to be the same as you. But I changed. Which is why I know that it's possible, and that you cannot allow somebody else's opinion define you."

This time, when she turned on her heel and started walking, she was stopped yet again, the situation like a perfect deja-vu.

"What is your name?"

The rosette hid a smile at the question. Though she knew the intent behind it was by no means friendly, it was a good change from the bitter, hateful remarks before. She looked over her shoulder, the small smile still on her face. "Sakura Haruno. And yours?"

For a moment she thought the redhead wasn't going to reply, but he did, moments before dissolving into grains of sand. "Sabaku no Gaara."

Sakura waited a few seconds to make sure that he was truly gone before she sighed in relief. That was an… _eventful_ morning. Feeling much worse than she did when she woke up, Sakura crept back to their room, ignoring her growling stomach in favour of the bed and the chance to sort out the mess of thoughts that was her mind.

* * *

The three days passed by in a blink once Akane had unravelled his scroll and pulled out chess, shogi, and cards, giving them the means and the time to relax and keep themselves entertained. Sakura also found out what Kaoru had shown the chunin who invaded his genjutsu – the rosette could have sworn she'd never laughed so much in her entire life.

Apparently, Kaoru wasn't limited to being able to show only his memories, and could also project his _imagination_ onto others if they were caught in the genjutsu. The brunette told them that he imagined Ibiki in a pink, frilly dress and ballet flats, then made him dance in front of the chunin. When Kaoru had decided the chunin had seen enough, he imagined the cell in the T&I department they'd been forced to see and made Ibiki do his 'thing' – which basically involved sharp objects, torture, both physical and psychological - on the chunin. With the poor chunin mentally scarred and in pain, Kaoru had released the genjutsu.

Akane was rolling on the floor, tears spilling from his eyes from laughing so much. Sakura was slightly more composed, _sitting_ on the bed with tears spilling from her eyes and stomach aching, but she just _couldn't_ _stop laughing_.

"L-Let's agree to never piss o-off Kaoru-chan, how 'bout that, Sakura-chan?" Akane asked once he'd calmed down enough to speak.

The rosette could only nod, still snorting amusedly when she imagined _Ibiki_ in a _frilly dress_.

"Kaoru, you'll be the death of us someday." She muttered quietly, still grinning.

"Hmpf. I still don't see what's so funny about it." The brunette humpf'ed, but he was smiling. "He had the gall to break into _**my**_ genjutsu, something like that doesn't go unpunished in my books, Sakura-chan."

Sakura couldn't resist; she reached over and ruffled his hair, messing up the ponytail. "Oh, and by the way," she said, eyes returning to the chess board as she moved her queen up three spaces.

"_Checkmate."_

* * *

Before we knew it, we were summoned into the arena where all the other genin stood, a lot of them looking ruffled up and wounded. I sighed, relieved, when I saw that Neji had made it through, even if he was dirty and scratched all over. I only half-listened as the Hokage explained the rules, my brain shutting down the moment I heard the word 'preliminaries' leave his lips.

_Ugh. That's such a bother. That means I'll have to come up with something new for the finals._

**If you pass, that is.**

I inwardly bristled. It seemed Inner still hadn't completely forgiven me. _I __**will **__pass. _I hissed inwardly. _Do not forget that I have a certain Uchiha I wish to beat to the position of the youngest ever ANBU Captain. Failure is not an option right now._

I snapped to attention when the large screen slid open and the names began flashing on the screen.

_Yoroi Akado vs Sasuke Uchiha._

I smirked, following the other genin to the stands, smirk widening as I realised that everybody had spread out, meaning that Kaoru, Akane and I were left pretty much to our own devices, and free to talk without the fear of being overheard as the other Konoha teams had squished together in order to be as far away from us as possible. I noticed Gaara's team, and the mysterious two-man team from Sound receiving the same treatment. I snorted.

"Excited?" Kaoru asked, casting me a sideways glance. I nodded slightly, sliding down the wall to rest in a sitting position.

"At least I know he's bound to put on a show." I muttered in response.

The match soon started, and I was glad to note that I was right. Even at a disadvantage, the Uchiha didn't disappoint. I was curious though, as to why he wasn't using his Sharingan. Suddenly, I realised why; red marks that faded into black began coiling up the Uchiha's neck, up his jaw then over his face. A weird chakra accompanied the marks. It was evil, foreign, and yet… familiar. Suddenly, Orochimaru's words echoed in my mind.

"_I've succeeded in making the Uchiha into my puppet."_

I cursed inwardly, bristling. So that's what he did. Sneaky bastard. I watched the match, curious as to what would happen once the marks settled, but I was surprised to see that they receded.

"Was that… Fuinjutsu? Or even, Juinjutsu?" Kaoru asked nobody in particular, but as his eyes met mine I knew he was thinking the same thing. I nodded, glancing back to the fight as I opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted when a poof of smoke came from my right.

Kakashi appeared from the smoke, his eyes closed in that insincere eye-smile I had seen him give is students before. "Why do I get the feeling you kids are talking about things you shouldn't be talking about?" he asked teasingly, but there was a more serious note laced underneath.

"Perhaps because we are?" Kaoru replied with a raised eyebrow, regarding the jounin with a look of distaste on his face. I smirked.

"The seal on his neck," I pointed at the Uchiha, who was currently in mid-air with the Sound nin in front of him, the seal on his neck in clear view. "What is it?" I asked.

The smile on the jounin's face dissolved and he grew serious. "That's classified information, I'm afraid." He responded dryly, sternly.

"It's Orochimaru's, we've gathered as much." I replied in an equally dry tone, delighting in his momentary speechlessness.

"What we want to know is, are you going to let him roam around the Village, branded like a pig by an S-Rank criminal, or are you going to do something about it?" Kaoru finished for me, enjoying the fact that he got to bully the Copy-nin.

After a few seconds, Kakashi composed himself, the eye-smile back on his face. "That's for the Hokage to decide and you to forget about. This conversation never took place~." And just like that, he was gone.

Kaoru turned to me, an annoyed look on his face. "Well, that left us with even more questions, didn't it?"

I shook my head, watching as Sasuke slammed the Sound nin into the ground, then stood, waiting for the proctor to declare him the victor. "I don't know, Kaoru. I think I've had enough of meddling in other people's businesses, worrying over things that don't concern me." I watched as the Copy-nin appeared beside the raven, escorting him off the arena. Seconds before they disappeared, the jounin sent us a meaningful glance, the message in that lone coal eye clear. "I think I may take his advice and stay out of this one."

The brunette stared at me for a few seconds, as if trying to figure out if what I said was the truth, before he shrugged and turned back to watch.

"Sasuke Uchiha; the winner of the first match." And so, the next rounds began.

_Shino Aburame vs. Zaku Abumi_

_Kankuro vs Misumi Tsurugu_

_Hikari Teppei vs Ino Yamanaka_

_Temari vs Tenten_

I watched disinterested, as the names flashed by, and considered taking a nap. None of the genin, perhaps apart from the Sand team, had shown anything even relatively interesting. I cracked my eyes open to check the next two unfortunate souls who would be pitied against each other, and my heart skipped a beat.

I wiped my eyes to check if maybe the drowsiness had made my vision blurry, but when I opened them, the board hadn't changed.

_Kaoru Yuhi vs Akane Satoshi_

I sent a worried look over at the two, but they, like me, were frozen in place, unable to do anything other than stare at each other in utter disbelief.

"Kaoru Yuhi and Akane Satoshi. Get down here, please." The proctor's voice rang through the arena. But the boys were too stupefied to move. I sighed, and glared, first at the board, then at the proctor, and finally at the Hokage. The old man met my gaze and shook his head, as if he knew what I was thinking. _Can they not be paired with someone else?_

I stood up and approached my teammates, laying a gentle hand on their shoulders. I didn't say anything. I didn't need to.

It seemed as if my touch had shaken them out of whatever thoughts they were caught in, and their eyes connected. Wordlessly, they shrugged off my hand on their shoulders and headed to the stairs in silence. They stood opposite each other, not meeting the other's eyes while they waited for Hayate to begin the match.

Naruto's voice cut through the silence. Even when whispering, everybody still heard him. I sighed_. A wall would be stealthier than him_. "Hey, but aren't they, like, teammates? That would be like me having to fight Hikari-chan or, or Sasuke-teme! Totally not fair, dattebayo!"

A few murmurs echoed through the arena now that people realised they were teammates. I ignored them, and settled for watching the two, curious as to how the battle would progress.

"You may begin!" the proctor announced and backed away, probably expecting them to attack immediately due to the tension they were emitting.

No such thing happened.

Instead, they stood opposite each other, both looking excited but full of regret at the same time.

"Well, Kaoru-chan, it seems that it's time to decide which one of us is stronger." the redhead announced, but his words lacked their usual cheerfulness. Kaoru sighed and nodded in agreement, yet he didn't look too happy about the turn of events either. It was clear that neither teen could find in himself to be the first to attack.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way..." Kaoru sighed, taking out a handful of kunai and reluctantly flicking them at the redhead. Akane dodged easily, twisting out of the way almost lazily, his eyes never leaving Kaoru's.

"Me too, Kaoru-chan. Me too." he agreed, and the brunette noted that he had never seen Akane so sad before. "But let's treat it as if it's just a normal spar, huh? That way we can still enjoy without being too bothered by who wins." the redhead suggested, a small, hopeful grin pulling at his lips.

The change was immediate.

Kaoru nodded, his face brightening as he settled into his preferred stance. "It's on, Carrot-boy." he teased.

Akane smirked. "You're gonna regret that."

* * *

Sakura was proud. It was the only thing she could think of while watching her teammates go at it. They'd been figh- no, _sparring_, because they weren't trying to kill each other, they were _sparring_ – for a good half-an-hour. And while during the previous fight, after ten minutes everybody was getting a bit bored, here, during Akane and Kaoru's fight, all the Konoha genin watched with bated breath and eyes wide in awe.

It was more like a dance than a fight, really.

The duo manoeuvred around each other with practiced ease, executing each jutsu flawlessly, throwing kunai, shuriken, and punches every two seconds just to try and catch the other off-guard, and their pace _never. slowed. down. _

All of the little rookie genin were getting a taste of what _real _stamina meant.

"Are they ever planning on stopping?!" a boy with upside-down red triangles on his cheeks exclaimed, half amazed, half exasperated.

"Knowing Akane and Kaoru? No." Sakura replied, grinning when the boy jumped in surprise.

"And who are you?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"Their teammate." The rosette said conversationally, shrugging. "Which is how I know that they're not going to slow down any time soon. They're having too much fun."

"Fun!?" _oh, great. Now the blonde joined the conversation too. _"But they're fighting!"

"No," Sakura corrected sternly, growing exasperated with every second. "They're _sparring_. If they were fighting, there would be a lot more blood involved."

Naruto and Kiba flinched simultaneously. Suddenly, a woman with brown hair and red eyes appeared behind the two. "The brunette keeps trapping the other one in a genjutsu, yet it's always broken almost immediately after he's cast it." The words themselves created a statement, but there was the silent question behind them. _How?_

"_We_ learned how to break Kaoru's genjustu quite soon after we became a team. On the off-chance that he accidently trapped one of us instead of the enemy, we didn't want to be vulnerable because we didn't know how to break the illusion." Sakura explained patiently.

The two rookies lost interest as soon as the conversation started getting technical, so Kakashi saw fit to join in the conversation. "While what you say is true," he started. "Breaking through genjutsu is far above merely _genin _level."

Sakura sighed, immediately annoyed. She was tired of people being shocked at what her team could do. They have been genin for _over two years_, after all. "But I thought you realised that we're not exactly _normal_ genin. We have more experience, and therefore, skill, than most of the kids gathered here. I'm not saying _all_," her eyes strayed to Gaara and his team, then Neji, before they finally came back to Kakashi and Kurenai. "But we're stronger than most. So I would appreciate it if you stopped being surprised by what we can do. Rank doesn't mean anything nowadays."

Kurenai nodded and turned back to watch the fight, but the Copy-nin was persistent.

"Yuhi… is he a distant relative, Kurenai?" Kakashi asked.

"A cousin." She replied distractedly. "Though I never knew… that he was this good."

"Like I said, rank and age don't mean much."

Everybody's gaze was drawn back to the battle as a massive fire dragon roared to life, headed straight for Kaoru. At the last seconds, the brunette managed to roll out of the way and the dragon collided with the wall. A massive heat-wave hit the audience.

"Ugh!" Sakura groaned as she shielded her eyes. "Seriously, Akane." She muttered irritably.

The rosette finally had time to take in their appearance; Kaoru was soaked, no doubt thanks to Akane's water jutsu, his hair had slipped out of the ponytail and surrounded his face in messy, brown locks, his shirt was ripped in a few places and his sleeve was singed, but other than that, he seemed fine. Akane, on the other hand, had cuts along his arms and neck, his shirt had a clean diagonal cut through it, from the left shoulder to his right hip, and his left ear was bleeding.

Overall, though, they looked much better than Sakura had expected them to.

"Stop trying to trap me in your damn genjutsu!" Akane exclaimed, looking annoyed. "Having to break them is making me tired!"

Kaoru smirked. "Then I guess you should do something to stop me from casting them." He remarked wittily, but cringed when Akane mirrored his smirk.

"I already did. Look down, Kaoru-chan." the brunette did as told and cursed inwardly. _Shit, shit, shit!  
_Using small-talk to distract him, Akane had caught him in a chakra string trap. The redhead's chakra, coming all the way from his foot, across the floor and to Kaoru, was wrapped around the brunette's ankles and left hand, immobilizing them. Kaoru tried to move his hand and hissed when the chakra _burned him. _He looked up at Akane, a faux hopeless look in his eyes.

"Only my left hand? Why?" he asked, trying to stall for time to figure out how to get free. Akane chuckled.

"Well, for one, I know you're left-handed, and it'll take a bit of effort _and_ time to reach across your body for your hip-pouch. Secondly, you're not the kid we met in the Land of Waves. I _know_ you can't make hand-signs with only one hand." The redhead grinned, proud of himself.

Kaoru chuckled. "You're right. I'm not Haku. However, there is something I _can _do." as proof of his words, he raised his right arm to his lips and tugged down the sleeve with his teeth. On his forearm, in bold, black ink, was some kind of seal.  
Akane wasn't too good in sealing, he had no idea what that particular one stood for. Kaoru, aware of that, explained.

"This seal activates what I had been working on for a while. It's not like my other genjutsu. I guess you could say that its similar to the _Demonic Illusion Hell-Viewing Technique." _he said thoughtfully. "Only this is _real. _It affects the brain's pain receptors, sending false signals of pain through the body. For example, if your biggest fear is fire, you'd see yourself burning and _feel _the flames licking at your skin. I'm not sure if you'd get actual burns though... Do you want to be my guinea pig?"

The redhead stared at Kaoru in surprise, half amused, half disbelieving. Then he chuckled.  
"I guess we're both learning from Sakura, huh?" at the brunette's questioning look, he dug in his hip-pouch and pulled out a kunai.

Kaoru snorted when he noticed just what kind of kunai it was - the tip was dipped in something purple which he could only assume was poison, and there was a couple of exploding tags dangling off it.

"Really, Akane?" he asked, disbelieving.

Akane grinned, proud of himself. "Yup. Really. Overkill all the way. Even if you trap me in that magic genjutsu of yours, _one _of those is bound to get you. So, what's it gonna be?"

"Let's look at our options, shall we?" Kaoru's voice was serious, but there was a teasing glint in his eyes. Sakura smirked. She knew that now, they were simply playing around. All the real fighting was already over.

"Option one says we go through with it; I capture you in my genjutsu, you throw that magic kunai of yours, just for the hell of it. Option two; you see reason and give up, though I doubt it'll happen. Option three; _**I**_ see reason and give up. That sure as _hell_ ain't happening. And option four… we stop fighting altogether and try to figure out a way beneficial for both of us."

"So basically, _what do we do when neither of us can get the upper hand_, right?" the redhead asked, his eyes shining and a grin on his face. He wasn't worried. He'd made Kaoru treat him like an equal. He was happy.

"Yeah, in a nutshell, yes."

"Sooo…" Akane drawled, hesitant, unsure of how to start. It took a few seconds of silence, the duo exchanging glances every so often, as if exchanging ideas telepathically. And Sakura was pretty sure they were.

"The chakra level had jumped again." Kurenai muttered from beside the rosette. "Is it another genjutsu?"

"Probably." Sakura shrugged. But inwardly, she was smirking. She had a feeling she knew _exactly which _genjutsu the brunette had trapped Akane in; the same one which sent one of Ibiki's chunin to the Hospital for a thorough examination. Though this one was presumably without torture, just like the beginning where they could talk in the blank, empty expanse of Kaoru's mind before the chunin interrupted and changed it into a torture chamber.

"The levels are back to normal, so the genjutsu's gone. But it wasn't broken this time." Kurenai said, her tone bewildered. Sakura could only smile knowingly as her teammates seemed to snap back to reality, twin grins on their faces.

"Well, only one of us can go through to the next round." Kaoru stated matter-of-factly, as if continuing their previous conversation.

"But that's not very team-like, is it?" Akane teased, completely unaffected by their conflicting situation. As if he already _knew_ what was going to happen.

"Exactly. And if only one of us can go through," Kaoru replied, a similar grin blooming on his face as his gaze connected with Akane's. "Then neither of us will." They said in unison.

Akane laughed. "Glad to know you share my sentiment, Kaoru-chan." The redhead mused, grinning like an idiot. The other genin, too shocked by the sudden turn of events to react, could only watch in awe as he turned to the stands and sought out the rosette. "Sorry, Sakura-chan." He apologised lightly. "Looks like you'll be the only one going through to the finals." But Sakura merely smiled that little, knowing smile of hers and shook her head fondly.

"Well, how do you wanna do it? Simultaneous knock-out?" Akane asked, turning to face Kaoru. The brunette winced.

"I'm quite fond of my face, thank you very much. I do not want to risk your hand doing any damage to it." He replied wryly. "How about simply forfeiting?"

Akane sighed. "You're so boring, Kaoru-chan." But he raised his hand anyway, and Kaoru mirrored his movements. "Can you do the talking? I suck at stuff like that." He muttered off-handedly.

"Fine." Kaoru scowled, but turned to the proctor, then to the highest stand where the Hokage was seated and spoke anyway. "Due to the fact that we value our teamwork and friendship more than a rank promotion, we wish to forfeit so neither of us passes through to the finals. Do you agree, Akane?"

"'Course I do." The redhead smirked, feigning indignant that Kaoru even suggested he didn't want that. "The names are Akane Satoshi and Kaoru Yuhi!" he called up to the proctor.

Hayate stood in silence for a moment, before he coughed, seeming to realise that it was his cue. "Because of both participants forfeiting simultaneously, neither shall be promoted-" but he cut of suddenly, his gaze snapping up to the stands. Everybody followed his eyes and realised that the Hokage stood up and was gazing down at the two teens.

"Would you really forfeit your chance to be a chunin if only one of you can get promoted?" he asked calmly.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kaoru replied evenly, curious.

"But you're both excellent shinobi. You have the skills for chunin, and Konoha could use your talents better if you were of higher rank." Sarutobi explained gently, but they both knew he was testing just how certain they were of their decision.

"While that it very nice of you to say, Hokage-sama, Kaoru-chan and I come in a package deal." Akane replied, and though he was grinning, his voice was serious. "Either both of us get promoted, or none, and we take the exam again in six months. If you'll allow us to, that is."

Kaoru was proud of the redhead – though his wording was less than favourable; and he called the brunette with his nickname in front of the _Hokage, _Kaoru appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

"Very well." Hiruzen hummed thoughtfully. Then, he raised his voice in order to address everyone. "Due to the unexpected turn of events, I've decided that _both_, Kaoru Yuhi and Akane Satoshi _shall be_ promoted to the final round."

There was a minute of surprised silence, everybody too shocked by the decision to react. Then, suddenly, there was the sound of clapping, and everybody turned their heads towards the sound;

Sakura, the knowing smile on her face turning into a full-out grin, shamelessly stood and applauded her teammates. The boys, momentarily surprised by the action, just stared up at her, before twin grins appeared on their faces and they shunshin'ed to the rosette, enveloping her in a tight hug.

Sarutobi smiled, pleased with his decision. Knowing their past, as well as personal history, he knew he had made the right choice. After all, they too deserved to be happy.

* * *

"Lord Hokage?" Anko asked from beside the man, equally as surprised as the genin below. "If I may be so bold, why did you promote both of them?" her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and even though she knew she shouldn't, she asked anyway.

Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully. "Although it's the first case _like that_, it is not the first time I've promoted both participants. When both parties are of equal strength and ability, it might take a lot longer than half an hour to come out with a winner. We do not have that long, Anko. This is not a war, where battles last days, or even weeks. These are genin sparring. Theoretically, they shouldn't even have the _stamina_ to go for over half an hour without slowing down. But, as always, there are some… exceptional cases." He paused for a moment, letting Anko take it all in. "In Kaoru and Akane-kun's case… they have the skill for chunin. They have the stamina, the endurance. And a chunin's job is, predominantly, to lead. And with leadership comes sacrifice. They were both willing to sacrifice their chance for a promotion if it meant they could be promoted together. That's a lot of faith and teamwork and friendship behind a decision like that."

Anko stayed silent for a few seconds. "Then, if they have to skill for chunin… why haven't you given them a field promotion?"

The Hokage sighed. "Because I needed to be sure… I needed to be sure they wouldn't break after Izaya was hospitalised. When teams lose their senseis… they tend to lose themselves, too."

The tokubetsu jounin smirked. "But Izaya's brats are different. They aren't breakable, fragile. They're malleable. You push them down, they spring back up, twice as strong." Anko paused, a reminiscing look on her face. "Izaya taught them that."

"Indeed. They do show quite a resemblance to Izaya-kun." Sarutobi nodded in agreement, a tiny smile on his face. "I'm sure he's proud of them."

The look of confusion Anko sent the Hokage went unnoticed, as the names once again started flashing on the screen.

* * *

The three genin from Team 13 had yet to release each other. They were simply too happy and glad and _relieved _that they completely ignored all of the genin who were shamelessly staring and stood together, arms wrapped each other in a tender embrace.

Finally, Sakura pulled away. "You two are… absolute idiots, show-offs, spontaneous and inconsiderate _brats_, but goddamn it, what you did down there was absolutely amazing and- _thank you_."

Kaoru and Akane blinked, slightly stupefied at the out-of-character speech and the fact that the rosette's eyes were glistening. "Sakura…chan?" Akane asked cautiously, though he was smiling. "Are you… crying?"

"No, I'm not! I'm just happy." She denied, furiously wiping at her eyes while the redhead snickered.

"Aww!" Akane teased, ruffling her hair. Kaoru grinned as well, but it soon faded as he turned to look at the names that had been selected. He cast a quick look around and cursed inwardly. That wasn't good.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," he said quietly, gaining her and Akane's attention. Wordlessly, he nodded in the direction of the board. Sakura's eyes followed and widened. Then, a smirk grew on her lips.

For up on the board, for all to see were two names;

_Sakura Haruno vs. Rock Lee_

* * *

**Well, I honestly hope you enjoyed this chapter! It's not one of my best ones, but I really, really needed it. So yeah.**

**It would be nice to hear your opinions, so, review, anyone? **

**Hope you liked it, see ya next chapter!**


	18. Panic

**It's here! The chapter I was slaving over, the hardest one ever. It's relatively short compared to the previous ones, but it's pure action. Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter – I was so happy you guys liked it!**

**Without further ado, here we go;**

* * *

For a few seconds, there was only silence. Then, a wild cheer of "YOSH!" startled everyone, bringing all eyes to a green-clad, bushy-browed jounin, and his smaller, carbon-copy of a student who seemed to have fire dancing in his eyes. "Go show them what you're made of, Lee!"

"Hai, Gai-sensei!" the genin replied and jumped down to the arena.

"Well, Sakura-chan, seems like you'll be facing Konoha's Green Clown." Akane snorted, turning to the rosette.

Only she wasn't there.

Alarmed, the redhead looked around the arena, trying to spot his pink-haired teammate, panic rising. "Akane, relax." Kaoru's voice cut through his anxiety. "She's there." And as he turned to face the direction the taller teen pointed to, he saw Sakura descending down the stairs, her eyes closed and a cool smirk playing on her lips.

Finally, when the two genin faced each other, awaiting Hayate's go-ahead, Lee spoke. "Although I do not know how you're here, given your obvious youth, I will do my best! May the spirit of youth guide me to victory! Yosh!"

"Mmhm." Sakura mused, unimpressed, eyes half-lidded as the cool smirk changed into a cat-like, lazy smile. "In a way, this is a perfect match for me as well." She spoke, surprising Lee. "I wish to see how my taijutsu fares against that of a self-proclaimed specialist."

Lee masked his surprise by a face-splitting grin. "Taijutsu user as well? Splendid!" he cheered.

"Indeed." Sakura's smile morphed into an unpleasant grin, one that was all teeth and reeked of bitterness. It didn't suit her face, and Akane shuddered almost imperceptibly. _Almost. _

Hayate coughed, breaking the silence that descended over the audience after the rosette's words. "You may begin."

Immediately, Lee sprung forward and jumped. "Konoha Whirlwind!" he called as he brought his foot down on Sakura, in, what would've been, a lethal kick.

But then, if it was that simple, his opponent wouldn't have been Sakura.

As it was, the rosette merely raised her left forearm and blocked the kick, the momentum and the chakra sending Lee back a few metres. Sakura didn't have to have a Byakugan to know that half the audience was gaping at her with their eyes wide. But she was far from finished.

This was only the beginning.

* * *

Lee regained his balance and glanced at the rosette. She had not moved, apart from the miniscule movement she performed with her arm, which was once again by her side. The others might not have seen it, but he had _felt_ the chakra that enforced her arm as she blocked his kick. A certain long-haired, pearl-eyed brunette sprung to mind, and Lee gritted his teeth. While it was true that he couldn't mould chakra into even the simplest ninjutsu, he had spent the last year learning how to _fight _chakra.

And so he jumped again, starting an explosive flurry of kicks, jabs and punches at a speed that made the spectators dizzy.

Yet every move was countered with a perfectly executed block or dodge, and Sakura had yet to move her feet. Then suddenly, she disappeared and there was a kunai coming at his side at an alarming speed. Acting quickly, he pulled out his own knife and blocked it, jumping away as more followed. The rosette reappeared in the exactly same place, and Lee saw his chance; while in mid-air, he grabbed as many kunai as he could and threw them at Sakura, Tenten's help with his aim paying off as all six sailed directly towards the girl's head.

But they were blocked, yet again, and Lee could hear the disbelieving murmurs from Naruto, and Hikari's incredulous "Lee-san's attacks aren't working at all!"

Lee frowned. _She's right. _

However, Lee wasn't one to give up. He did not get to where he was, handicapped as he was with his inability to use nin or genjutsu, by giving up. So he charged again, stepping up his speed, circling the rosette and changing angles, _finally making her move. _But Lee didn't realise that it would've been better if she'd stayed still; now, when he made her move, Sakura grew irritated and fought back, hands flying in all directions until one hit its mark and sent Lee skidding back, his lip bleeding.

"Was that it?" she asked scathingly. Then, she smirked. "You better step up your game, bushy-brows. This is nowhere _near_ over."

And just like that, she was gone.

Everybody looked around, surprised and anxious, trying to locate the rosette, but their eyes snapped back to the arena seconds before she reappeared behind Lee and aimed a kick to his back, her foot glowing blue.

It was almost comical, really, how Lee's body seemed to fold in on itself as he flew into the wall, pieces of stone and debris falling with him. But Sakura wouldn't let him off that easily. She flew after him, giving him just enough time to hear Hikari's panicked "Lee-san, look out!" before she was onto him once again.

He was good, she had to give it to him. Definitely more persistent and determined than she would've expected him to, but that didn't change anything. His skill was impressive, but his speed was not. He was faster than most, but still too slow for her.

So it was no surprise when she easily manoeuvred him exactly where she wanted him, and pulled back for the final hit, which, when connected, would make his head implode just like her father's clones had, so many years ago.

But her hand only met air.

It seemed that in her small moment of reminiscing, he had disappeared. It took her the grand total of five seconds to locate him, and when she did, she frowned.

It seemed as if Lee was unwrapping something from his ankles… _were they weights?_ Sakura was slightly sceptical, but knew better than to judge the weights by their appearance. Her own ones were rather discreet, but in reality were a lot heavier than one would've expected.

She was proven right when the weights not only dented, but _broke_ the floor. Sakura chuckled.

But her mirth was not to last, as soon after, Lee disappeared. And this time, Sakura struggled to sense him. Only years of training and finely-honed reflexes helped her block the punch coming at her head, and the flurry of kicks and jabs that followed. She could see it in his eyes this time. Playtime was over. Now it was business.

And Sakura was never one to disappoint.

Ducking out of the way and letting his momentum carry him forward before he had a chance to stop himself, she grabbed his ankle. Sakura swung him around and flung him at the wall, then sped after him as he slid down. Feeling pity, she helped him up, allowing him at least _some_ dignity, but as he tried to regain his balance, she sprung forward, mimicking the style she had seen so many times before, and struck his chest with the palm of her hand.

_Thank you, Neji._

* * *

Up in the stands, the teen in question was torn between angry and amused, which seemed to be the typical range of emotions he grew to associate with Sakura.

He was angry, because she had managed to copy his move without a doujutsu, Byakugan, or thorough knowledge of tenketsu; and amused, because of Lee's reaction; the green clad teen was wide-eyed and shaking, gasping and coughing out blood in between the incredulous looks he sent at the rosette.

Suddenly, he shook and coughed out more blood, and Neji was beginning to suspect that Sakura was fully aware of where she aimed, which would mean that she had known of the damage that could be done by a simple, accurate strike of the main tenketsu. The heart.

As he looked at the frowning rosette, her gaze almost disappointed, Neji realised that he wouldn't put it past her to have memorized the diagram of the location of all 361 points. Out of curiosity, he activated his Byakugan and realised that while she'd missed the heart by less than an inch, the foreign chakra she inserted into Lee's body was enough to disturb his heart and make him bleed internally. And suddenly, it clicked, and Neji glared down at Sakura in amazed disbelief. She was frowning _because_ the strike had missed. Because it meant her aim had been off, even if it was by the slightest of margins. He didn't know how he knew, but it was the only reason he could think of that would make her look as disappointed with herself as she did – her frightening desire to always be the best.

Suddenly, Neji felt eyes on him, and he turned towards the source, his face twisting back into its typical, aloof mask. Gai-sensei and the Copy Nin were staring at him suspiciously, and he realised that they had not missed the similarities between the Hyuuga style and the move Sakura had used. He bit his tongue to stop the snappy remark that threatened to come out. If Gai wouldn't ask, he wouldn't say anything.

With that in mind, he turned to watch the match taking place between his friend and his teammate.

And what a match it was…

* * *

Sakura regarded the panting teen with a cool once-over. But beneath the mask of stoic detachment, she was recovering from a near-panic attack. _Nobody_ had ever gotten as close as he did to hurting her. _Nobody_ had made her stumble, had made her step up her game to avoid getting hurt.

Nobody apart from him.

But it was meant to be, she thought, as she watched the teen struggling to catch his balance after a strike which would've left most others laying on the floor in a crumpled heap.

But not him.

Lee stood up, wiped the blood from his chin and fell back into his stance, a smile on his face, and Sakura was suddenly overtaken with the desire to win, just to see him crumble and prove to herself that she was still strong, still _unbeatable_ in her field.

Yet she was torn from her thoughts as Lee began unwrapping the bandages from his arms and she felt his chakra flare dramatically. Then, he was running around her, and she had no idea what to do.

_Smack!_

A harsh kick connected with her chin and sent her flying up, towards the ceiling. A barrage of twenty or so kicks kept her going, up, up, up, higher and higher. Through the pain, she managed to crack her eyes open, but he was nowhere to be found, until, seconds later, she felt bandages wrapping around her body. Shocked, Sakura craned her head back and saw Lee behind her, a pained, but confident expression on his face.

Up in the stands, Gai closed his eyes and prayed, just as Sakura felt Lee wince behind her, and his body spasmed from the pain. The rosette saw her chance, and took it, the only conscious thought running through her mind being _ensure survival. Screw the result. I wanna live. _

Acting on pure impulse, she yanked the bandages covering her hands up, freeing her hands even as the rest of her body was still trapped, pulled tightly against Lee. With adrenaline pumping through her, she called on her chakra, ready to use it if need be.

Then, when they were mere inches away from the ceiling, Lee turned them around, and the spinning started.

Sakura shut her eyes, nausea creeping up on her, her heart beating a hundred miles per minute as she felt the drop, felt the impending doom growing closer and closer.

But she would not yield. She never had, and never will.

Forcing her eyes open, she had less than a second to react, to thrust her chakra in front of her and solidify it. The arms and bandages around her disappeared and just as she felt the familiar sizzle of chakra around her.

Then there was only darkness.

* * *

Shocked silence filled the arena.

Kaoru and Akane were stunned, speechless. Too shaken up to worry.

Sakura.

_Their_ Sakura.

They could only stare at the human-sized crater in the floor, too deep for them to see inside it.

"Oh, God." Akane sobbed. "Please tell me she's alright."

Kaoru didn't know. But he sincerely hoped that the tiny flash of blue he saw, seconds before the rosette pummelled into the ground like it was soft cheese, meant that she was okay. But all he could really do was hope.

* * *

Kakashi had seen it too.

The small flash of blue moments before Sakura disappeared underground. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew what it was. He swerved his Sharingan to the left, assessing Lee. The teen was panting, and Kakashi could see that he was pretty much immobile. He glared at Gai. The Secondary Lotus was not a technique which should be taught to children. The stress on the body was too great to-

A gasp from Naruto.

A relieved sob from the redhead.

Disbelieving, wide eyes from Gai.

From the rubble, the crater, a single arm stuck out. The arm groped around, chakra sizzling at the fingertips, trying to grasp something for purchase. Slim fingers wrapped around one of the heavier tiles, and the muscles tensed. Soon, a head of matted pink hair broke through. Then the shoulders. Then the chest.

Finally, the whole body was out, and Kakashi watched as the rosette lifted her head. He stifled a shudder.

She was unaffected.

"How?!" Gai wailed, too shocked to stop himself.

And Kakashi wondered about that too, because such an impact would damage even him.

"She used a chakra shield." Everybody who heard the voice turned to face its source; one proud, calm Neji Hyuuga, with his arms crossed over his chest and Byakugan activated. When all the brunette got were blank looks, he sighed. "She gathered chakra around her body and solidified it." He turned to watch as the rosette swayed slightly but caught her balance, eyes locked with Lee's shocked ones. "But it wasn't perfect. She still received some damage." The teen jerked his head at Sakura's midsection, and Kakashi's eyes followed.

Indeed, he realised as he regarded her closer, the rosette had sustained some damage; her left arm was hanging limply by her side, the forearm, from elbow to wrist, no longer hung in a straight line. It was twisted into an angle like a grotesque, flattened 'V', and rotated so that her palm faced up, the jagged edges of broken bones threatening to poke through her flesh.

He heard Naruto gag, shocked at the injury _and_ the fact that the rosette didn't seem affected by it in the slightest.

"How can she still move with her arm looking like _that_?" the blonde finally burst. To his surprise, it was the redhead who answered him, calm and grinning once again.

"She blocked a chakra point."

Hikari scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion. "Soo… now she's a medical ninja?"

Akane chuckled as he shook his head, no. "No, no. I'm the medic of the team, Sakura is just… a _very_ fast learner."

Hikari's look of confusion didn't disappear. In fact, it only grew. The wordless question of _why? _was clear on her face, and just as Akane opened his mouth to reply, another, smoother voice interrupted.

"Because her body rejects medical chakra." Neji said simply, drawing their gazes to him, yet he did not take his eyes of the battle below. "While she can _be healed_ with medical chakra, she cannot _heal_ others. She has the power, the patience, and the control, but any attempts merely end in chakra burns and exhaustion."

Akane glared at the brunette suspiciously. "And how do _you_ know that, oh great _Hyuuga-sama_?" he asked sarcastically, though curiosity and just a hint jealousy was clear in his tone.

Neji smirked. "I was with her longer than _you_, never forget that. I know things about her you can only dream of."

The redhead growled. "You know nothing about her." He snarled, shrugging off the calming hand Kaoru placed on his shoulder.

In response, the Hyuuga merely arched a brow. "Have you been to her house?" Akane sputtered, paused, and frowned. He seemed to think about the question for a few seconds, before a look of defeat appeared on his face. "I thought so." Neji's tone was condescending and seemed to be just what Akane needed to snap out of it and fight back.

"And how do I know you're not lying, huh?" he questioned, smirking.

Neji smirked, as if expecting the question. Wordlessly, he dug his hand into his pocket, and, after a bit of searching, pulled out a silver key. "That's the spare key to her house." He stated simply.

Akane's eyes grew, but his expression was still that of doubt. Neji sighed and turned the key over, pointing at something on the handle. Just below the thinner part of the key was a small engraving of a blooming cherry blossom flower. Akane gave up.

"Fine. You win." He relented. "But she is still _our_ teammate. **Nothing** will change that."

* * *

The battle that had started out as a test to see whose taijutsu was stronger had now turned into a sheer battle of wills. The battle of wills which tested the unwavering determination the two combatants possessed. All that was left now was to see which one would cave first, which one would submit to the pain and forfeit, or lose the match. And Neji had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't going to be Sakura. In the three years that he'd known her, and the two years that she'd been genin, the rosette had developed an almost frightening tolerance for pain. And the brunette knew that that tolerance would show itself very soon.

He turned his eyes back on the battle and watched as Sakura got closer and closer to Lee, who was rooted to the ground.

"Now, that wasn't very nice." The rosette commented as she wiped a trickle of blood from her chin with her good hand. "I'm afraid I've grown tired of your games. This ends. _Now_."

Before Lee could as much as attempt to stagger to his feet, Sakura was onto him, kicking, slashing, punching, and Kakashi was shocked by the fact that all her attacks were spot on, even with the undeniable agony that must've been coursing through her arm.

"Lee-san! _Move_!" Hikari called out when one of the rosette's kicks sent the teen crashing into a wall. "Why isn't he moving? She'll kill him!"

Gai frowned. "It's not that he isn't moving." He replied, eyes never leaving Lee. "It's that he _can't_ move." He said, watching with sadness in his eyes as his student was tossed around by the pink-haired genin, memories flashing through his mind. _Lee…_

"Ah, Sakura-chan's back to normal, thank Kami!" Akane sighed, relieved, temporarily forgetting about his argument with Neji as he slumped against Kaoru. "I was almost worried that she would… you know, with the broken arm and all…"

"Yeah." Kaoru agreed, oblivious to the looks they were attracting. "We shouldn't have doubted Sakura. Lee-san is good, but he's got a long way to go to get to Sakura's level. He doesn't stand much of a chance now. It's only a matter of whether he'll gain some sense and give up, or get reduced to mush if Sakura uses that forbidden style."

"Lee is not a guy who will surrender to something like this." Gai's indignant tone rang with certainty, startling Kaoru, but only serving to irritate Akane.

"Then I suggest you invest in a matchbox to collect him in." the redhead replied scathingly. "'Cause if you and your student have too much pride to forfeit, you can be sure Sakura will make him feel _pain._"

Gai didn't reply, so everybody turned their eyes back to the match; it was clear Lee was on the losing side – he was slower, and his attempts at dodging Sakura's attacks didn't work. But suddenly, when Sakura pulled away to take out some kunai, he changed. His back straightened, a smile blossomed on his face, and, when Sakura threw the kunai in her hand, he _dodged_. He disappeared out of the way, his usual speed back.

"How-?!"

"Why-?!"

"When-?!"

"He's back to normal!"

Now it was Gai's turn to smile. "Lee will win this. There is one thing he has yet to show us." Suddenly, Kakashi snapped his head towards Gai, eye widening at the implication. Most genin ignored the argument that took place between the men, and settled for watching the battle.

Lee stood alone, and suddenly, a blast of air and chakra erupted around him, sending a gust of wind, chakra and debris at the audience. Everybody shielded their eyes, and when they looked down, the rosette seemed frantic, throwing kunai and shuriken at the cylinder of chakra that suddenly surrounded Lee, only to have them bounce back at her.

"Stop it!" she screamed.

Kakashi sighed. _So, she realised what he is planning to do…_

And then it was over. Lee's skin was red, his eyes wide, veins throbbing on his forehead, his temple. But a small hue of chakra still surrounded his body. And then he _moved_.

When he moved, he ripped up the ground completely, the tile breaking under his feet. There was no indication of where he was, or where he was going to hit. And suddenly, Sakura was gone too.

Everybody looked around, trying desperately to locate the duelling teens, and it was only thanks to Shikamaru that they finally found them.

Neji closed his eyes, and he could feel the redhead beside him do the same.

They could not stand to watch as the green-clad genin played football with their teammate and friend respectively as the ball.

_Sakura… _they thought. _Please be okay…_

* * *

_Why… am… I… not… moving?!_

The rosette struggled to come to terms with the sudden realisation. She had never felt so helpless. All she could do was stick out her arm in hopes of blocking the kick aimed at her face, but otherwise, she was defenceless. In mid-air, with one arm shattered, and an opponent whose movements she could not predict, she could do nought but wait and hope that it would all be over soon.

And then it was; a hard kick connected with the arm she stuck out as the one final defence, and sent her spiralling towards the ground. Then she was suddenly jerked to a stop and as she forced her eyes open - _when had they closed? – _and realised that Lee had caught her by her obi.

"_This… ends… __**here**__!_" Sakura could see as his muscles strained and ripped, but he managed to pull her towards him nonetheless, and deliver the strongest punch Sakura ever had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of.

That was it.

* * *

"No… no…" Akane murmured while gazing, unblinking, at the hole in the ground in which Sakura was once again buried in. But this time he knew it would be a miracle if she got out of it. "No… no no no no no!"

"A-Akane, calm down!" Kaoru chastised, but he too had his hand over his mouth in shock, and tears glistened in his eyes. The brunette cast a curious glance towards the Hyuuga to judge his reaction:

Neji's eyes were wide in fear, his mask of calmness broken. The stiff lines around his mouth had vanished, and his lips were parted in a small, shocked 'o'.

Only silence could be heard.

* * *

One minute, Sakura lay in the darkness, still and cold, with a pool of something warm and sticky pooling around her body. She was in _agony. _Her body burned with every small, shallow breath she took. She could feel the blood gushing out of her stomach in fast flowing rivers, leaking her life-force away. The rosette took one last, shuddering breath, and accepted the inevitable. She closed her eyes.

Then suddenly she was on her feet again, the pain pushed to the back of her mind as a blue glow surrounded her, totally out of her control, and she felt more like a marionette than a master as her own chakra seemed to move her body, make her climb out of the hole and squint her eyes at the blinding lights of the arena. The shocked faces of the audience were like a distant memory, hazy and easy to ignore, and all she focused on was the crumpled body of the boy who led her to this state.

She was seized with the sudden urge to _destroy_.

The chakra around her settled and sizzled around her body and _grew_, becoming twice the width and height of a normal human, encasing her in its protective baby-blue glow.

Amazed, she stretched her arm out in the direction of Lee and watched, fascinated, as the chakra followed, settling centimetres above Lee, almost as if awaiting further instructions. Curious, Sakura opened her palm, and moved her arm down; the chakra mirrored the movement, settling around Lee like a blanket. Satisfied, the rosette smirked, and clenched her fist.

She relished in the pained scream that followed the movement.

* * *

When Sakura climbed out of the hole and raised her head, the audience held their breath; as the light shone into her eyes, it made the emerald pools look like liquid silver – cold, empty, and dangerous.

Kaoru shuddered. "This fight is over." He stated, looking dejected. Just as the words left his mouth, they were further proven by the rosette below them as her chakra sparkled one last time; the chakra surrounding her sizzled and in a grotesque impression of an arm, surged towards Rock Lee, and roughly _grabbed _him. For a few seconds, everything was silent, until the pained scream ripped through the silence as Lee was literally _crushed_.

Then the arm snapped back like a whip, pulling Rock Lee with it and slammed him against the wall.

Everyone waited with bated breath for the taijutsu specialist to move, to get up like he had so many times before.

But he didn't.

The spandex-clad teen lay on the floor, bloodied and motionless. He didn't move. _Couldn't _move.

"I declare Sakura Haruno the winner of this match."

Sakura smirked, then swayed. Suddenly, her legs folded beneath her and she collapsed, the chakra around her simmered out of existence, and the unforgiving crimson flowing from her body spread in a pool around her.

"_Somebody get the medics!"_

* * *

**There it is.**

**I slaved over this chapter for over two weeks. **

**I'm still not completely satisfied, but I wanted to get it out for you guys before my exam start next week. **

**Exams… *groan***

**Well, I hope it's OK, and if you guys have any questions or opinions, please leave them in your review or a PM.  
(P.S. the mystery of how Sakura managed to get up after Primary Lotus will be explained next chapter!)**

**Hope you liked it!**


	19. Roadblocks

**Hey there! Sorry for the ridiculously long wait - life, exams, school and basketball got in the way of updating... -_- Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and the people who wished me luck on said exams (Eugh... Results... Dreading them...) I appreciated all your comments and views, positive and negative! Thanks!**

**Also, just a little explanation - to those who asked (and those who didn't too) did you really think I would let Sakura just _cruise _through it all? You wound me, really. Sure, this story is all about the fact that she is in fact, stronger than in the original story-line, but honestly? A fight like the one she had against Lee would leave even _Kakashi _a bit 'out of it'. Thus, I hope to have explained the reason for this chapter's title - '_'Roadblocks' :D_**

**Finally, Google said that 20000 yen is about £130, for those who don't know. It'll be mentioned later on.**

**Enough Author's Rambling - Here's the story! Enjoy!**

* * *

When Sakura woke up, it was to soft sheets, worried faces and too-white walls.

The faces were blurred, but even in her drugged state, she still recognized the unmistakable red and brown heads of her teammates. Sakura tried to sit up, tried to move her hand up to wipe the sleep from her eyes, but found that she _couldn't. _Instead, a jolt of pain shot through her, pain so overwhelming that she immediately stilled and _whimpered. _

"Sakura-!" Akane jumped forward, trying to help but not knowing what to do.

Kaoru saved him from having to do anything. The brunette stepped up and gently nudged the rosette back onto the pillows and rested his hand on her arm.

"It's better if you try to stay still, Sakura-chan." he said quietly.

Sakura obeyed, but had a curious expression on her face. "Why, Kaoru? Why can't I move?" she didn't miss the discreet glance Akane sent the brunette as she asked that and tried to stifle the immediate assumption that there was something they weren't telling her.

"Don't worry about it. You must still be sore from that battle, and you did lose a lot of blood." Kaoru explained, his tone soothing and strangely pacifying.

Sakura was about to question the brunette some more, but a disbelieving, derisive snort interrupted her.

"For God's sake, when will you stop lying to her?" Sakura snapped her head in the direction of the speaker, and was surprised to see Neji standing by the window, gazing at them with a look of contempt. But when Sakura narrowed her eyes and looked deep enough, she could see the obvious look of worry and relief beneath his mask.

Now that the surprise wore off, the rosette turned her tired eyes to Neji and actually _saw _him: his hair was out if its ponytail, visibly disheveled and there was a hint of black bags under his lilac eyes. Sakura was suddenly seized with a feeling of gratitude for the Hyuuga; it was obvious he'd been there for quite a while. But that would have to wait; she needed answers.

"What are they lying to me about, Neji?" she asked softly. Neji sighed and opened his mouth to reply, but Akane stopped him, and his tone sent chills down Sakura's spine.

"I don't think so, Hyuuga. Sakura is our teammate, and she had just woken up from a tough battle. I'm not going to make her any more uncomfortable than she is now." the redhead declared heatedly.

"I'm more uncomfortable not knowing what you two are talking about." Sakura observed quietly.

For some reason, Akane sent her a hurt, almost _betrayed _look that only served to confuse Sakura, but the redhead's features hardened almost immediately and the rosette found herself staring at an expression she never wished to see on his face; a cold mask of detachment, lips set in a firm line and eyes cold.

"Fine. Tell her. But do so without me." he turned on his heel, but stopped just before. "I suppose I'll see you once you've been discharged. If that moment ever comes, that is." and with those words, he strode out, slamming the door behind him.

Silence reigned in the room.

Sakura was too shocked to react, too busy staring at the space where her teammate - her _happy, cheerful, carefree teammate - _had been standing just seconds before.

Finally, Kaoru, who was fidgeting slightly due to the awkward air, cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"I better go after him... Who knows what he might do." the brunette turned to walk out, but just before he reached the door he stopped, walked back, leaned over Sakura's bed and pressed a soft kiss to the rosette's forehead, hands smoothing out her hair. "Get better soon, Sakura-chan." he murmured, before he too turned on his heel and left the room.

Sakura turned to the only other person left in the room, her lip trembling slightly and Neji swore he'd never seen the rosette more confused.

"Would you like to explain to me what just happened?" even her voice trembled, and Neji decided he'd wring her teammates' necks next time he sees them.

The Hyuuga sighed and pulled a chair close to Sakura's bed. "You've been unconscious for four days." he started simply. The rosette's eyes widened and Neji smiled bitterly. "_They _were besides themselves with worry, but they didn't want to tell you the truth because they thought you'd be uncomfortable or even freak out. They don't know you as well as I do." an almost melancholy look seemed to pass across his face, but it was gone in less than a second. "We've been arguing about it for pretty much the whole time you were unconscious."

Sakura scrunched up her brows, confusion and agitation marrying her features. "You still haven't told me anything though. I have no idea what exactly Akane and Kaoru were trying to keep from me, nor why I still _can't move!_" she paused, and took a deep breath, wincing when her chest ached. "What exactly happened to me, Neji?" her voice was so quiet, so pained, that Neji could do nought but cave in and answer.

"When you collapsed for the second time, everybody was sure you wouldn't be getting up. But you did, and you won the match. Yet something happened, and you fainted. They got the medics to you as soon as possible, but both, you and Lee were in such a state that they could not risk keeping you in the makeshift hospital at the Tower and they transported you here." Neji noticed Sakura's expectant gaze and sighed. "Sakura. Your arm was shattered, four of your ribs broken, the others fractured, your muscles were _shredded _when the medics got you here, and you were suffering from severe chakra exhaustion... Also..." and for the first time since Sakura'd known the teen, Neji trailed off, lost for words.

"Also _what_, Neji?" Sakura demanded sharply. Yet her tone was not that of despair like one would expect after getting such news, but cold and demanding, and, if Neji heard right, filled with uncharacteristic acceptance and… just a hint of resignation. Like she already knew what he'd told her was only the tip of the metaphorical iceberg.

Neji took a deep breath, schooled his face into its typical mask of aloofness, and spoke only after he deemed himself prepared himself for the shattered, disbelieving expression he was bound to get after his next words. "Your chakra reserves have been depleted severely." Neji swallowed audibly. "So severely, in fact, that the medics do not believe they will refill anytime soon. I'm... sorry, Sakura."  
Sakura did not say anything for a while, so when Neji looked up - _when had he looked down?- _he was surprised to see a single tear slide down the rosette's cheek. Sakura raised her eyes and gazed at him with such a broken-hearted expression that it broke through all of his defences and pulled at Neji's heart strings, bringing forth emotions he'd been trying to bury deep down since his father's death.

As such, Neji felt perfectly justified when he clambered up onto Sakura's bed and wrapped his arms around the petite rosette.

* * *

Sakura had never believed herself to be particularly emotional. But, when Neji embraced her and began muttering sweet nothings into her ear, and reassuring her that it'll be alright, that her chakra won't be gone forever, and that _no_, he'll _never_ abandon her, Sakura allowed her walls to fall.

She allowed herself to act her age, and let the tears flow, wrapping her arms tightly around Neji and burrowing as deeply into his warmth as possible, gratefully accepting the comfort when she so needed it.

And as she called on her chakra, hoping against hope that what Neji said wasn't true, that it was just a bad dream and she would wake up soon enough, there was nothing there. A weak blue glow surrounded her finger, like a dying flame, before it flickered out of existence and Sakura was left feeling like an empty shell. Useless.

So she cried. And cried and cried, because she needed it. Needed the relief. Because she had passed the preliminaries, but what of it? At what cost? She had defeated Lee, but now she would be the one defeated, because without her chakra, she was nothing. A nobody. Without her chakra, Sakura wasn't the leader of the Demon Siblings, she wasn't a prodigy or whatever it was the villagers believed her to be.

She was but a child with a dream, and no means to make that dream come true.

* * *

That was how Kaoru and Akane found her once the brunette had convinced his teammate to stop fuming and apologize to Sakura. They found the rosette curled up on the hospital bed, wrapped around Neji with tear tracks visible in her cheeks and the Hyuuga's arm swung protectively around her shoulders. Akane stiffened, but quickly relaxed and walked towards his teammate.

It seemed that over the two years they'd been together, Sakura had developed a sixth sense for when her teammates were around, as not a second later, her eyes opened, revealing slightly dazed emeralds. Her eyes sharpened the moment she spotted them and she tensed up, no doubt recalling the last time they were in a room together.

Akane cursed himself as he noticed a certain wariness in the pinkette's eyes, one that had not been there before. He heard Kaoru sigh beside him and knew that the brunette had noticed too.

The redhead smiled reassuringly and sat down beside Sakura. Carefully, so as not to rouse the Hyuuga or injure his teammate, he wrapped his arms around the rosette and cradled her to his chest.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan." He whispered into her hair. "I was being an idiot."

Sakura smiled lightly. She was slightly apprehensive when she first saw the duo, but now, held in Akane's arms, she relaxed. "It's fine, Akane. You _are_ a baka, after all." She teased.

The redhead chuckled.

"Though, could you please tell me who I'll be facing in the finals?" Sakura asked curiously. During her talk with Neji she had somehow forgotten the most important question. "And what happened to Lee?"

The relaxed atmosphere melted away as quickly as it had come, and Akane tensed. "Uh, about that… You've been put up against the Uchiha, Sakura-chan."

Kaoru had his eyes trained on Sakura, curious of what her reaction would be. To his surprise, the rosette seemed only thoughtful, then annoyed. "And Lee?"

Akane gulped discreetly. "Lee… Sakura-chan, he… I don't think he'll ever be a ninja again…"

The statement hung in the air for a few seconds, and Sakura's eyes widened comically. "You mean, he… I… his wounds are too severe for him to…?"

Kaoru nodded, eyes never leaving Sakura's. The rosette sighed, and slumped back against the Hyuuga. "I thought so… I knew it was my fault. Eugh. I need to think."

The redhead made as if to step towards Sakura, but she raised a hand to stop him, cutting off the lecture that was sure to follow. "I need to think about who I can _train_ with, Akane. I'm not going to wallow in grief, so you don't have to worry."

Akane seemed almost indignant at that. "We can train together like we always do! Why would you need new sparring partners?" he exclaimed.

Sakura shook her head, smiling slightly. "No, Akane. You know my condition, probably better than I do myself. I need to train so I can find out how to defeat the Uchiha _without _chakra. If I do so with you, I will only slow you down. You need to train so you can come up with some new tricks for whoever you'll be facing."

"I'm facing the Aburame kid, and Akane's got the puppet master from Suna." Kaoru replied to the implied question. "Though there is something else, Sakura-chan. The redhead from Suna… he passed as well."

The rosette raised her eyebrow in a mute _And?_

"And the winner of your match with Sasuke will go against him."

Sakura regarded the brunette with calculative eyes, before she smirked bitterly. "Ah, I see. You want me to intentionally lose my match against the Uchiha because you're afraid of what will happen if I go against Gaara." She snorted. "I thought you knew me better than that."

Kaoru winced openly when she said that. They knew her, maybe even better than she knew herself. Was it so bad that they wanted to protect her? That they cared for her?

"We do know you, Sakura-chan." Akane defended, his eyes portraying the hurt he felt at the rosette's words.

Sakura grit her teeth and forced her muscles to respond, pushing the pain to the back of her mind. With much effort, she sat up, and using her teammates' surprise to her advantage, she snatched a kunai from Kaoru's pouch.

"Then you should know that I am not to be underestimated." She fingered the kunai almost fondly, and looked up at the two. "With or without chakra, I will make sure to make mine and Sasuke's battle," she closed her eyes, and with a miniscule frown marrying her features, threw the kunai at the hospital wall, and even without chakra, the kunai embedded itself hilt-deep in the wall, and there was a loud noise before a crack travelled all the way down the wall from the kunai, splitting the stone. "his _worst_ one yet."

Akane smiled, realising that Sakura wasn't angry at them, just annoyed at her predicament, and was simply projecting this annoyance more than usual. He was still worried, but then, he supposed he would just have to deal with his worry. He knew Sakura didn't like to be babied. "And here we were, worried of how you would take it. God, we were idiots." He smiled reassuringly at the pinkette and nodded. "If you wish to train by yourself, then do so by all means. But know that we are always here for you if you need help. Got that, pinky?" he teased.

Sakura grinned lightly and moved to elbow Akane, but she suddenly hissed in pain, clutching her chest. Blood bubbled from her lips and flowed down her chin. Akane's smile faded, eyes widening in alarm.

"Sakura?" but he received no response apart from more blood dribbling down the rosette's chin and her eyes becoming dazed. He panicked. "Kaoru, get the medics!"

* * *

Sakura decided she'd had enough of waking up in too-white rooms with needles sticking out from her arms. Thus, with no small amount of pleading and threatening, she managed to convince Neji to help her escape. They chose to do it between the medics' rounds, and Neji carried Sakura out, then snuck back in to fake a discharge signature.

Then they (or rather, Neji) walked to Sakura's house and the brunette deposited her on the bed. Of course, Sakura being Sakura decided that she would not stay _in_ the bed. And for reasons unknown to anybody but him, Neji insisted on staying with her.

A week passed, and Sakura slowly but surely regained control of her body. She could walk, sit, eat, run, and move around, but all without the aid of her chakra. She grew to really understand the meaning of '_You never fully appreciate something until it's gone'. _Many times she'd caught herself trying to use her chakra for the simplest of things, such as trying to reach for something on the top shelf, or speed up her walk, or silence her steps, only to end up disappointed and in pain when nothing happened.

The Hyuuga had stayed with her through it all, not leaving her house since he'd somehow managed to convince Hiashi-sama that he would be 'training'. So Neji was pretty much _living_ at her house. Speaking of Neji, Sakura heard the front door open, and in he walked, carrying a bunch of scrolls in his arms. The brunette dumped the scrolls on the table and turned to face Sakura.

"These are all scrolls on chakra-less combat. Covering everything from basic katas to poison and weaponry combos. The choice is yours." He explained.

Sakura was suddenly seized with the urge to hug the Hyuuga.

So she did.

He'd been nothing but nice and caring ever since she was 'discharged' from the hospital, and she was eternally grateful to him for that.

"Thanks, Neji-chan." She whispered to the surprised teen. "If you need anything, tell me, OK?"

Neji nodded, slightly stunned, but quickly collected himself. "Actually, there is something. The ancient Hyuuga style, passed down the Main House. I have come into contact with the scroll detailing how it should be executed, but I would appreciate some… assistance. Especially considering the fact you had pretty much managed to recreate it by yourself."

* * *

The next week and a half was spent working tirelessly to achieve perfection. Neji had almost mastered the _Hakkeshou Kaiten_, while Sakura found a style that suited her, one that didn't involve chakra and pretty much defined her fighting style. The Hyuuga made the closest sound to a snort she'd ever heard come from him once she showed him the scroll she picked.

"'Explosive tags, motion-activated flash-bombs and poison.'" He raised a brow at her over the scroll. "I always knew the meaning of 'subtlety' was lost on you."

Sakura smirked. "Glad we have cleared that one up."

Neji regarder the rosette with an almost analytical eye. She was coping, yes. But she still wasn't fully recovered from the loss of chakra. He could tell from the way her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly whenever she saw him, or other shinobi use it. Jealousy? Neji would never know. What he did know was that she grew more bitter and sarcastic with every day that passed, and Neji was worried.

He wanted the old Sakura back, as impossible as it sounded. The petite pinkette he met three years ago, one who, while not new to death, had not a single drop of blood on her hands. He wanted the young, still slightly child-like girl. Because Sakura, like himself, had had to grow up too much, too quickly, and he saw it every day, now that he knew what to look for…

_**BANG!**_

Neji's head snapped in the direction of the noise so quickly he heard it click. To his surprise, Sakura ran out of the bushes, waving her arms and grinning madly, though bleeding quite badly from her arm.

"Run, Neji! Run!" And for the first time in ages, Neji heard genuine laughter come from the pinkette. As she neared him, she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him along, dragging him through the streets of Konoha, all the while Neji admired the pure childish glee visible on her face. He regained his footing and ran along-side her, asking; "Where are we running to?"

"Doesn't matter! Just away from the poison!"

Neji arched his eyebrows in disbelief at the explanation, but followed along nonetheless. Somehow, they ended up on the Academy roof, same place where they met three years ago. Neji recovered from the surprise and managed a rather convincing frown. "Why were we suddenly running?"

Sakura grinned impishly, a rare sight in itself, and explained. "I didn't know how to spread the poisons I got from Shirani-san on a large scale, so I experimented. Tried pretty much everything I knew, but then I ran out of the harmless poisons, so I had to take out the slightly more dangerous ones when I decided to replace the smoke from a smoke bomb with the poison. It worked! But it was also the reason we had to run so quickly!"

Neji was torn between amused and disbelieving, and was about to criticize the rosette for her carelessness, when suddenly another ninja appeared close to them, identical lilac eyes gazing into Neji's with self-assured superiority. "Neji-san. Hiashi-sama is asking for you."

The rosette noticed how Neji's shoulders tensed, and could think of only one reason for his suddenly sour mood. _Main House._

"Hai. Tell Uncle Hiashi I'm on my way." The messenger-nin nodded and disappeared almost as quickly as he came. Neji sighed. "I have to go."

Sakura nodded in understanding, though her smile was mostly gone now. "I'll see you at the finals then."

* * *

Kaoru and Akane were sparring when she approached them on Training Ground 13, just like she knew they would be. Kaoru spotted her first, and easily blocked Akane's attack, motioning towards her instead. The redhead caught on and quickly flash-stepped to Sakura, enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Sakura-chan! We missed you!" he released her, giving Kaoru the space to give her a hug as well, though much gentler one. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Sakura smiled slightly. "Better. Definitely better. And you?" she replied awkwardly, never one for small talk.

"We're great! The Aburame kid and that Sand prat won't know what hit them!" Akane enthused, grinning madly. "And what did you come up with?"

The rosette fidgeted slightly, a movement which didn't go unnoticed by Kaoru. "I've settled for poison and explosives." She stated carefully.

Akane chuckled. "That is so different than your usual style, Sakura-chan, that it's almost funny."

Sakura shrugged, smirking. "Perhaps. But my dad once said that he'll do everything in his power to make me the best ninja this world has ever seen. And I'll do my best to make sure his work doesn't go to waste, and if that means stepping out of my comfort zone, then so be it. "

Kaoru nodded understandingly, while Akane grinned. "Good! But how will you take the prat down with only poison and kunai?"

At that, Sakura faltered, as that was the same question that was plaguing her mind as well. "I don't know." she settled for honesty, because even if there was only one thing she was sure of, it was the fact that she could trust these two. "Which is why I came here. I need advice." _And something to take my mind off the guilt. _She thought to herself. _And somebody who will tell me honestly what I need._

"I can confuse the Uchiha with common poisons and projectiles, or engage him in hand-to-hand combat, but he will always have the advantage of chakra enhancement. I don't know how to overcome that. I would feel more confident if we were on equal grounds, both of us without chakra, because then I would know that my taijutsu is superior. But right now… I just _don't know_…" she trailed off with a tired sigh.

Akane and Kaoru stayed silent for a few seconds, both silently vowing to never allow the rosette to look this helpless ever again. Suddenly, the redhead spoke.

"Then why don't you make him run out of chakra?"

Both, Sakura and Kaoru stared at him in surprise, contemplating his idea. Sakura grinned inwardly, amazed. When she thought about it, it was so simple, and so plain _obvious. _She mentally congratulated the redhead for his spark of genius.

Unfortunately, Akane seemed to take their silence as a disagreement and defended his point. "I mean, he might be an Uchiha, and he may still have chakra, but he is still a _genin_. And a _rookie_ at that. So if he acts like the self-confident brat he is, he will try to show off with chakra-consuming jutsu. And even without chakra, you're quick on your feet. So you can evade and conserve your energy until he is running on fumes and then attack." He looked from Sakura to Kaoru for a few seconds, then shrugged sheepishly. "It made sense in my head."

At that moment, Sakura jumped forward and hugged the redhead, burying her face in his chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she chanted. She let go, and turned on her heel. "I need to check something, see you soon!" and she sped off, disappearing between the trees.

Akane and Kaoru stayed behind, gazing at the space where she was a few seconds before. Finally, Akane spoke, and alien sort of seriousness in his voice. "So, did she notice? And did you find out anything useful?"

The brunette shook his head, sighing. "I don't think she noticed the genjutsu. But I didn't get anything. Her mind is even better protected than her body."

His teammate frowned, disbelief marring his features. "How can you protect your _mind_? Isn't that like, nearly impossible?"

Kaoru shrugged and slumped on the grass. "I don't know. But it was almost like her thought and feelings were locked away, like something was guarding it. Like a separate consciousness responsible for keeping the mind locked up, blocking all access."

Akane joined the brunette on the ground, gazing at the setting sun above them. "Then I suppose we have no choice but to pay the Hyuuga a visit."

* * *

I ran off, and idea blooming in my mind. Not even caring about the incredibly slow pace I was limited to, as it gave me more time to think everything through. Akane's suggestion brought forward a spark, one that initiated everything and provided me with what appeared to be the fool-proof solution.

Finally reaching my destination, I burst through the door. "Shirani-san, I need your help!" luckily, the shop was empty as per usual, so there was nobody to witness my bizarre entrance.

"What is it now, kid?" the shop-keeper asked with his usual tone of minor irritation that I was used to and knew not to take seriously.

"I need a chakra-absorbing armour!" I exclaimed.

Shirani-san stared at me weirdly before he snorted. "You can't be serious, kid. That is way too serious weaponry for brats like you to be messing around with. Besides, it's too expensive for you anyway."

I smirked and threw 20,000 yen on the counter, my smirk growing considerably when his eyes widened. _Ah, the beauty of high-paying A-Ranks…_

I schooled my features to portray perfect innocence. "I hope that will be enough to cover the cost, right, Shirani-san?"

He nodded wordlessly, still somewhat awed, but stepped out from behind the counter and led me to the very back of the shop. "What kind of armour do you need, kid?" he asked, finally recovered.

"Well, I need it to absorb a full-chakra attack, probably lightning, or fire-based. Thin enough to go under my shirt or cloak, and undetectable. Also, I want to be able to use the chakra it absorbs. Do you have something with this criteria?" I asked calmly.

He sent me a calculating glance and gave a slight smirk. "Funny how you have it all figured out, kid. You really are like your father."

I shrugged. "I know what I want. Is that really so bad?"

He didn't answer, but turned to the racks. With a sigh, he started sifting through everything, until he pulled out a simple chest and back piece. It looked innocent enough, and totally inconspicuous. I raised an eyebrow.

"Don't go judging it with those pretty eyes of yours, kid. Just watch." He snapped his fingers, and chakra gathered on the very tip of his middle and forefinger. He flicked his fingers at the chest piece, and the chakra was _sucked out of his fingers. _The armour appeared to buzz with the energy, and it cracked and sizzled with sparks of blue chakra. I stood, amazed, unable to say anything.

"Now, watch." And he laid his hand, palm down, on the chest piece, and I watched as his brow creased, and slowly but surely, the chakra from the plate crawled up his hand, until it encased his hand in a soft baby-blue glow.

"I need that." I stated, eyes looking longingly at the armour. It would solve most of my problems if I could use the Uchiha's chakra against him.

"Now, now, don't get ahead of yourself." Shirani-san must have noticed the excited gleam in my eyes. "There is one downside to this. You can't absorb foreign chakra back to your reserves. You can only manipulate it, and that requires great control."

I smirked. "Shirani-san, my entire fighting style revolves around chakra manipulation outside the body. This will be a piece of cake, so to speak."

And to my surprise, Shirani-san mirrored my smirk. "It better be, cause I expect to see a good show when I come watch your fight against the Uchiha brat."

I couldn't fully mask my surprise at the almost _friendly _comment. "You know?" I finally asked.

He chuckled. "Kid, practically the entire village knows." He said, snorting. "The last Uchiha vs. the Leader of the Demon Siblings. It's the talk of the Village." I couldn't help but be amused by that fact. It was also quite… humbling.

"That's… good to know." I replied hesitantly. "Thank you, Shirani-san. How much is this armour?"

Shirani-san regarded me with an expression which I couldn't decipher for a few seconds, but then he suddenly turned on his heel and marched back towards the counter. "You're lucky, kid. It will be easily covered with the amount you gave me. But, I can offer you something else as well." He disappeared for a few seconds, but came back with what seemed like a black curtain in his hands.

"You'll like it." He sounded so sure of himself I couldn't help but be curious. I raised an eyebrow, clearly challenging, and he smirked. "Come here."

I obeyed, and watched as he organised the cloth in his hands and held it out for me, and I belatedly realised that it was a cloak. I let him put it on for me, and sighed as the soft material made contact with my bare forearms. I was soft, but felt thick at the same time, yet the material was impossible light. Just as I was about to fasten it, Shirani-san caught my arm and gave a secretive smirk.

"I said you'd like it, didn't I? Actually _look at it, _will you?" he chastised. More than a little confused, I looked at the lining, expecting to see nothing special, but I gasped in surprise at what I saw.

Inside, camouflaged by the thick folds of the cloak, were tonnes of small pockets and compartments. I could recognise holsters for kunai and shuriken, little pockets for smoke bombs, and small holders for scrolls, and explosive tags. All possible nooks and crannies one could imagine were there.

I grinned at Shirani-san. "I _will_ win that battle. Even if I do so merely to thank you for this amazing cloak."

"Don't mention it, kid. People might think I'm actually _kind_." He joked, though his tone remained serious.

My grin morphed into a smirk. "Now _that_ would be a sight to see."

* * *

The following few days were spent working over schematics and strategies, acting out all the possible scenarios with Akane and Kaoru. I mastered the ability to fight with the chakra absorbed from their attacks, the armour becoming an inseparable part of me. Akane and Kaoru also learned that explosives, regardless how small and innocent-looking, should never be underestimated.

All in all, I had my new, chakra-less fighting style, down to the last detail. And frankly, in a battle of endurance, I knew I would still win, chakra or no. Which was why I instructed my teammates to come at me with everything they had, apart from genjutsu. I needed to see how much I could dodge, how quickly, and how long I could last.

Because Akane's suggestion was really the masterpiece behind my plan. The chakra armour was just a useful piece in a big game of shogi, but Akane's idea was the King; the most important piece.

Which was how I planned to deal with the Uchiha – play around, dodge, let him use all the new attacks he'd undoubtedly learned, then wait for the wonderful, inevitable moment when he runs out of chakra. And then, like a coiled snake ready to strike, I would make my move.

And it will be amazing.

Overall, there was one thing I was absolutely _certain _of;

I was _ready._

* * *

**And here it is. Finally. Done. The next chapter will be the Finals and the Konoha Invasion, as well as GAARA! Whoop! **

**I'm going on a basketball camp tomorrow and a tournament later on in the month, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update, but I'll try my best to put it out for you guys earlier than this one was ^_^**

**Thanks for reading, please share your views in a REVIEW!**


	20. Finals

**OMG IT'S HERE.**

**ALL I HAVE TO SAY!**

**NOW, READ!**

* * *

The morning of the final exams came far too slowly for Sakura.

The rosette was ready and up on her feet by five o'clock, even though the participants were expected to show in the arena at nine. She was just _restless_, buzzing with pent-up energy and _excitement_. After she'd had a small breakfast, triple-checked to make sure she had everything she would need in the folds of her cloak; _and_ read through the scroll detailing her method of attack, Sakura ran out of things to do.

So she waited till the clock struck six, an hour at which she knew Neji would be awake at. The boy, much like herself, woke up like clockwork every day and she decided to exploit that trait and pay the young Hyuuga a visit. Justification? She simply needed to give herself something to do, other than sit at home alone, and perhaps pester the teen for an early-morning spar.

Sakura grinned to herself as she hurried to get dressed, keeping in mind that she probably wouldn't go back home after her visit. She chose a simple black shirt with cut-off sleeves, and black leggings, and topped it all with the gloves and cloak Shirani-san had graciously provided her with. As she fastened the cloak and prepared to leave her house, the rosette walked past one of the cupboards, and her gaze fell on her old tanto. A devious smirk formed on her lips.

_Well, why not? _

She quickly snatched the weapon and secured it on her back, before she took off at a leisurely pace towards the Hyuuga compound.

Once she got there, the guards, although surprised, let her in without a second thought. She was a frequent visitor. Sakura easily found her way to the Branch House's quarters and climbed in through Neji's window, as his room was, surprisingly enough, on the ground floor. She was _not _surprised, however, to find the teen resting in a lotus position, meditating in the middle of his room.

Like she said, the Hyuuga _worked like clockwork. _

"Do not get me wrong, but what are you _doing_ here, Sakura?" Neji asked, not even opening his eyes.

The girl in question sighed, shrugging as she plopped down on his futon, careful not to disturb the covers. "I got bored." was her simple explanation. "And I'm too proactive for my own good, so I don't even have anything to potentially worry about since I've already considered and prepared for all possible scenarios."

Neji sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at her confident tone, and relaxed from his position. He opened his eyes. "And you came here hoping that I would indulge you until the finals start, right?" the brunette said in a dry tone, his words sounding more like a statement than a question. Sakura nodded and Neji rolled his eyes, proving just how relaxed he was in her presence if he allowed himself to show what he truly felt. "I am not in the mood for a spar, Sakura. However, I wouldn't be too adverse to a game of shogi, or chess." He murmured, eyes softening and all the last tension evaporating from his body as the rosette patted a spot beside her and leaned over to his bedside table to retrieve said games.

* * *

The hours seemed to pass in a blink, and soon Sakura had to leave and find her teammates as Neji was escorted to the arena by his clan. Once again, Sakura followed her gut-feeling as to her teammates' location, and found them in what had come to be known as _their_ restaurant, casually munching on some barbecue. Or rather, Akane scarfing down steak after steak, while Kaoru sat opposite him, a bemused expression on his face as he lightly nibbled on his dango. Sakura grinned and slid in beside the brunette, laughing inwardly at their surprised expressions as she quickly grabbed Kaoru's hand and stole one of the dumplings from the stick he was holding.

"Sakura-chan!" Akane exclaimed loudly, leaning over the table to ruffle my hair. "How did you find us?"

The rosette swallowed and scrunched up her nose in fake distaste. "I could smell _you_ all the way from my house, Akane. Seriously, you need to shower more often than _once_ a year…"

The restaurant was silent for a few seconds, Akane's jaw hanging slack, his expression a perfect depiction of '_Eh?_'. He started stuttering, pointing confusedly at her, Kaoru, and himself, over and over again. "S-Sakura, did you just- did you just _make fun of me?! _Moreover, did you actually _**joke**_?!" his disbelief was amusing, and Sakura noticed Kaoru chuckling, shaking with laughter on her left; but he choked on his dango as Akane suddenly jumped up. "LO AND BEHOLD!" He shouted, startling most of the restaurant. "Sakura Haruno, the most impassive, destructive, socially-retarded chick you'll ever meet has just _made a joke_!"

The redhead was immediately yanked down by Kaoru and Sakura, the former blushing furiously at his teammate's stupidity while Sakura was seething with anger. "I'll show you how '_destructive_' I can be when I shove my kunai up your-!"

"Now, now, pinky." A new voice joined in, cutting her off mid-threat. "It's no good threatening your teammate. Especially considering you have somewhere to be, don't you?"

All three genin turned their heads and noticed Anko, a devious expression on her face as she stared at them. "What do you mean, Anko-senpai?" Kaoru, always the first to speak, asked.

"Oh, don't worry, Kaoru-chan." Anko grinned and waved him off. "I was just under the impression that the three of you were taking part in a certain _Chuunin Exam, _which starts in…" she paused to check her watch, an expression of faux-concentration on her face. "Oh, three minutes!" she finished cheerfully.

There was a moment of silence as that information sunk in before- "_Shit!_" and the genin were gone, the last of the money they left behind to pay for their meal cluttering on the table.

"Heh. Cheeky brats."

* * *

Miraculously, they managed to arrive on time, with a few seconds left to spare to catch their breath and regain their composure after the run. Much to her irritation, Akane had snatched her up the second they bolted from the restaurant and _carried_ _her_ all the way to the arena. Inwardly, Sakura knew that if she had to run at the speed she was currently capable of, she would've never gotten to the arena on time, but that still didn't stop her from feeling annoyed at the redhead. Thus, she felt perfectly justified as she delivered a harsh kick to her teammate's shin.

"Ow!" he hissed, but his pain was ignored as Kaoru ushered them into the arena. "What was that for?"

Any come-back Sakura might've had died on her lips as she took in the crowd.

It was definitely… _unsettling_, she decided, standing there before what felt like thousands of people, left to be stared at with their judgemental eyes with no possibility of getting away from them. The trio walked over towards the small group of genin who had gathered in the centre, and were quite surprised to see Genma as the proctor.

_What happened to the previous one? I have never heard of changing the proctors half-way through the exam…_

But nobody else appeared even vaguely worried, all too hung up on the cheering crowd and the nerves. So, Sakura dismissed the thought, instead trying to locate the Uchiha.

_He's not here. _She realised slowly. _The bastard isn't here. The nerve!_

She ground her teeth, irritated beyond belief. She felt like smashing something. _I'll beat his pretty little face in. Humiliate him. __**Destroy him. **_Sakura smirked inwardly. It was like Akane said – he may be an Uchiha, but Sakura had experience. And enough common sense to know not to anger people ten times stronger than her.

During her musings, and murderous thoughts, Genma had announced that the battles should begin immediately, and all participants apart from Neji and Naruto were ushered to the spectators' balcony. As Sakura passed Neji, she stood on her tip-toes and whispered four words in his ear. Just four words. But she knew these words meant everything to the Hyuuga, because the moment they left her mouth, his eyes glittered with something she rarely saw in him; hope.

* * *

"_I believe in you._"

* * *

In the end, Neji had lost. But… Sakura had never been more proud of him. He had bared his very soul to the world, and yet nobody who saw the match thought any less of him. Sakura could see it in their eyes. Although it was the blonde who_ won_ the match, in the spectators' eyes it was, and would always be Hyuuga Neji who _triumphed_. The world finally saw the unparalleled skill and potential the teen possessed. And with that came what Neji had always secretly craved; recognition and acceptance.

Sakura had heard the story of the Branch and Head Family before. Neji had told her, when she asked him why he was so hung up on destiny. She didn't agree with his opinion that everybody's destiny was set in stone the moment they were born, but she could see how he had grown to believe in such once she learned of his past. And yet, it appeared that Neji didn't realise that he was contradicting himself – he had said that the Branch Family was doomed for failure, and that they were nought but shields to the Head Family. But Neji had easily mastered and demonstrated the secret techniques of the Main Family, ones that should not have been possible for him to even dream of, and, at least to Sakura, he would never be just a _shield._

The Hyuuga Bloodline Limit was strong in him, that much was clear. And Sakura saw all the proof she neded in the man who was the sole reason behind Neji's bitterness; Hyuuga Hiashi.

The match between his nephew and the Kyuubi jinchuuriki had shaken up the Hyuuga Head. Then, when Neji pulled out his trump cards, Sakura didn't think the Hyuuga was aware of the fact that he was _gaping_. _Hakkeshou Kaiten_… the technique they worked tirelessly on… _Hakke Rokujuuyonshou_… the jutsu that attacked sixty-four chakra points in the opponents body, a technique which required tremendous skill and chakra control to perform… Sakura relished in the look of absolute shock she saw in the eyes of Hyuuga Head as Neji unleashed both of them. Both justu passed down the Main Branch only… so difficult that only a select few could execute them, performed perfectly by a mere child from the Branch Family.

It was a definite eye-opener for the Hyuuga.

Also, Sakura realised that she never knew Neji could be so… intimidating. He smashed Naruto into miniature pieces by toying with his mind, ridiculing him. Sakura saw the blonde's resolve weaken with every word that left the brunette's mouth. But he struck back, overwhelmed Neji with blind optimism and hundreds of clones.

Yet the audience appeared to agree with Sakura – Naruto won by luck.

Next, it was her fight.

* * *

Hyuuga Hiashi never doubted himself.

But when he saw his nephew down in the arena, when he saw the cynical lilac eyes staring straight at him with such blatant hatred, and when he saw the skills he'd never thought possible executed to the last detail by a child from the Branch Family, he doubted himself.

He doubted the system, and the separation of the Clan. He doubted the decision that led to the death of his brother, and the eternally jaded teen in front of him.

He doubted the value of one's life in comparison to another.

And as Neji was brought to his knees in front of the crowd, and his eyes closed in peace, appearing as world-weary as Hizashi had been in his last moments of life, Hiashi's resolve strengthened.

He would tell him the truth.

* * *

"Kakashi, I need to go!" Sasuke panted, sweating profusely, even if he was smirking inwardly. "My fight is starting in soon! I need to _destroy_ that _child_!" he spat the words at his mentor.

"Hmm…" the jounin hummed. "If that's the case, then we can leave… but you need to eat, Sasuke. We will stop by some restaurant first."

And the Uchiha could do nought but glare at his sensei as he was dragged through the half-empty streets of Konoha to find something to eat.

_Sakura… _he thought with a sneer. _I will destroy you._

* * *

The rosette was enraged when the Uchiha remained absent. She was shaking, the hand clasped around the rail tightened until her knuckles turned white and she felt the metal give in beneath her fingers.

Suddenly, a gentle hand rested atop her own.

"Sakura. Calm down." Kaoru's soothing voice penetrated through her rage, clearing the red haze that covered her vision. "If he doesn't show, you win by default, and go forward to fight Gaara. Is the brat really worth your anger?"

Somehow, Sakura never really discovered how, his quiet words were just what she needed to release a tense breath and let go of the railing. Her shoulders sagged and muscles relaxed, and she sighed, collapsing into Kaoru's chest. The teen reacted quickly and wrapped his arms around the rosette without a second thought, letting her rest in them. They opted for ignoring the curious stares from the other genin, not pulling away until Akane's voice interrupted them.

"So now I'm not even included in the hug of love, hm?" he asked teasingly as he appeared behind them. "You wound me, both of you." he sighed dramatically.  
Kaoru raised an eyebrow and simply beckoned the redhead forward, inviting him to join. He did, and they stood there for a few seconds, simply enjoying each other's company.

"I have something for you." and out of nowhere, he retrieved three sticks of dango and handed them to the duo, keeping one for himself.

The three friends slumped against the wall, sighing contentedly as they enjoyed their sugary treat. But then, Genma's voice cut through the silence like a knife.

"Sakura Haruno and Uchiha Sasuke's match has been postponed till further notice. For now, will Shino Aburame and Akane Satoshi come down and begin their match?"

Akane froze.

But he relaxed just as quickly and shook his head, smirking. "I always knew the Uchiha got special treatment." And then, he vaulted over the railing, smirking at the laughs and sniggers from the audience; dango stick still between his teeth as a teasing grin made its way on his face.

Shino walked down in a more dignified manner, and stood silently opposite the redhead.

The two waited patiently Genma's 'go ahead' signal, and when it was finally given, Akane moved his hands to make a seal, but Shino's voice stopped him.

"I did my research. You're an elemental type, though you're most proficient and comfortable with water jutsu." He stated bluntly. "Yet what effect will your attack have, if my bugs can simply suck the chakra from it?"

To everyone's surprise, Akane chose to laugh rather than get intimidated or insulted. "You really did your research. I'm impressed." He grinned. "Yet, I think I'll take my chances."

And quicker than one would expect, and with far more confidence than a genin should have when performing such a high-ranking jutsu, a wall of water rose from the ground, temporarily covering Akane behind it. And, true to his word, a cloud of bugs came from Shino, and seemed to almost _sit_ on the water, until it lost its power and sense of direction and fell down, quickly soaking into the dry ground below as the chakra guiding it vanished.

"Well, what do you know, you were actually telling the truth... Impressive."

But his hands rose once again, this time settling in a seal which Sakura vaguely recognized as the _Hell Viewing Technique. _

Sakura frowned.

_Akane _and_ genjutsu? _The rosette thought, astounded. _Is Hell freezing over? _

"It's insulting that you think such a weak genjutsu would affect me. My bugs are indifferent to your illusions. Thus I am not affected by them either as they will always help me differentiate between illusion and reality."

There was a slight shift in chakra, and Sakura knew that the genjutsu had indeed been broken. She glanced to her right, expecting Kaoru to look as crestfallen as she felt, but the brunette surprised her; he had a proud grin on his face, and his eyes never left the battle. Curious, Sakura turned back to watch, eager to discover what Kaoru knew that she didn't.

Her answer came almost immediately, as Akane created a giant earth wall. The swarm of bugs moved like one big black body towards it, but Shino had not moved in the slightest. It was like he hadn't even noticed the wall was there.

Just as the bugs were about to sit on the wall, it _curled over_ and folded around them, forming a sphere, with the bugs trapped inside. Grinning at his achievement, Akane immediately formed the hand-signs for a fire jutsu, and directed it at the earth ball. There was a horrible squeal as the bugs burned, and Akane didn't stop till the earth was black and dry, and ashes at his feet.

Throughout all this, Shino hadn't moved a single muscle.

Akane was about to move towards the teen, but more bugs suddenly burst from the ground and swarmed around him. Sakura shut her eyes in horror. Of course. There were _thousands _of kikaichu in an Aburame's body. Impossible to get rid of all of them with one simple jutsu.

To her surprise, Kaoru's elbow jabbed into her ribs, startling her enough to make her eyes snap open.

"Watch." The brunette commanded. "Akane is not so stupid to be taken down with such an obvious thing."

And just as the words left his mouth, the kikaichu suddenly dispersed, looking almost confused.

Akane… wasn't there.

There were wild whispers and pointing fingers as people tried to find the redhead. Sakura couldn't see him anywhere.

"Where is he?" she asked Kaoru, seeing as he still had the small knowing smirk on his face.

But Kaoru didn't have to say anything, as not five seconds later the earth directly behind Shino split, and Akane climbed out, standing up and dusting himself off.

He walked towards the teen, grinning madly as if it was the most normal thing in the world, and when the kikaichu made to fly towards him, he merely pulled out a kunai and pressed it against Shino's throat. The bugs, seeing their master being threatened stayed in one place, buzzing restlessly. Akane smirked victoriously, and his other hand came up, and formed the most surprising sign of all; _kai._

There was a sudden shift in chakra, and the Aburame jerked suddenly. Were it not for Shino's glasses, Sakura could've sworn he was blinking owlishly, confused as to why there was_ a very real and sharp kunai pressed against his jugular...?_

Now Sakura understood, yet the situation had yet to dawn on most of the audience and Shino himself. It seemed as if Akane had realised too, as he grinned and nudged the brunette.

"Any questions?" he asked teasingly.

Shino seemed to stumble for a few seconds, unable to find the right question, until he finally settled for a simple "How?"

It seemed to be the question Akane had been waiting for.

"Well, contrary to popular belief, I actually did my research too. I knew your bugs could suck out chakra from my jutsu, and using my tanto against bugs seemed just _stupid_, even for me. So genjutsu it was, and I am seriously thanking the heavens for giving me Kaoru-chan as a teammate. Seriously. But then there was this tiny problem of _damn, illusions don't work on bugs. _After I realized that, it was a matter of finding a way to trick you into thinking your bugs had discovered the genjutsu and making you think you have broken it. Which was pretty much what you saw, wasn't it?'

Though the question was rhetorical, Shino nodded. He still looked slightly shell-shocked, and the kunai pressed to his throat wasn't making anything easier for him.

Akane shrugged lightly. "Therefore all I had to do was create a genjutsu which messed with your vision, and made you see what I _wanted _you to see, and ta-da. We find ourselves in this position."

Genma seemed to take the sudden silence that descended over the arena as his cue. "Akane Satoshi is the winner of this round."

Only then did the cheers break out. And Kami above, they were deafening.

* * *

As Akane climbed up the stairs, Kaoru beat the rosette to the congratulatory hug, and tackled the redhead. Sakura waited for her turn, and then jumped with equal enthusiasm, praising Akane for his fight.

"Hey, Kaoru-chan!" Akane said after he'd thanked them. "Genjustu is actually quite fun, you know?"

Sakura froze, staring at the teen in shock. _Woah. Forget Hell; is the __**world **__coming to an end?_

The brunette just shook his head, smiling fondly. But before he could say anything else, the proctor called the other participants.

"Now, Kaoru Yuhi and Kankuro, come down."

Kaoru sighed, and disentangled from the hug. He seemed to ponder the stairs, but then suddenly changed direction and also vaulted over the rail, landing lightly on the ground before Genma.

But Kankuro stayed put. "Eh, I wish to forfeit!" He called down.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. She had not had much contact with the Sand Siblings, but from what she had seen, they were not the type to forfeit. She expected Kaoru to just nod and move off the arena, but the brunette surprised her.

"Oh, come down here, you third-rate, cowardly puppet master. Or are you really so scared?" he taunted. It was such an out-of-character move from him that Sakura stood and gaped for a few seconds, until she heard Akane chuckling beside her.

"Hook, line and sinker." The redhead muttered. He snickered as Sakura sent him a puzzled look, but before he could answer, Kankuro was already running down the steps.

"Like hell! We'll see who will be the scared one after I'm done with you!" the puppet-master hissed.

Unfortunately, Genma had other plans, and as he neared the Kaoru, the proctor stopped the Suna nin. "You already forfeited, so this will have to wait. For now, the winner of this match is Kaoru Yuhi."

"No, come on, proctor!" The teen whined.

"Nope. Should have thought of that before you mindlessly forfeited." Genma replied evenly, and Sakura smirked. It was obvious that his mind was already made. "Get back to the stands. We'll start the other match."

Suddenly, a cluster of leaves was swept up, and from the sudden gust of wind emerged the teen Sakura had been waiting for. Sasuke Uchiha.

"Sorry if we're a bit late." Kakashi scratched his head sheepishly. "Something came up, and-!"

"Save it, Kakashi. Now leave your brat and go to the stands. We're about to start the match, now that you decided to show yourselves."

Sakura smirked, and jumped down before the proctor could announce that it was, in fact, her turn.

Genma gave her an appraising glance, and sighed. "Let the match between Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno _begin_!"

The rosette smirked. She knew she was going to win, because she wasn't going to give up until she did. With one final grin, she pounced.

* * *

Kaoru and Akane were among all the other genin who stood in the audience with their mouths agape. The duo thought that since they practised with Sakura, they knew everything she had to offer. But apparently, that was not the case.

It was always clear that Sakura was not one for long-distance fights. Her aim was average, she wasn't proficient in ninjutsu, and knew only a handful of genjutsu. But right now, she was holding her own against Sasuke, throwing deadly-accurate shuriken, making quick Shadow Replications, and forcing the Uchiha to keep moving around. At some point, the Uchiha got close to rip off the chest piece of her chakra armour, but he apparently didn't know what it did as he just chucked it away.

After a few minutes, it was clear that Sasuke was getting frustrated. He was getting nowhere, and his cheeks were already flushed from running around, while Sakura remained seemingly unaffected.

"She's going with your plan." Kaoru realised belatedly. "She's going to make him run around until he drops."

But it seemed Sasuke had realised that as well, as he quickly stopped, and, with a burst of chakra, disappeared.

"This is the problem with copying the style of a person I'd seen and fought with before." Sakura paused, and raised her eyes to meet the Uchiha's. Emerald pools that were full of defiance, and steel confidence. "You risk making the same mistake as they did."

Sasuke was silent, then snorted. "And what mistake would that be?" he asked, sneering.

"Just the fact that you're letting me know _exactly_ what you're doing." The rosette stated evenly, and shrugged.

The raven narrowed his eyes and scoffed. "You're bluffing."

Sakura raised her eyes to the sky. "Am I? Or are you just that predictable?" she took Sasuke's silence as a cue to continue. "You stole Lee's moves because they gave me a bit of trouble when I first saw them. But you weren't _there_ for the fight. You could only copy the style which had been undoubtedly copied before and relayed back to you. It is not your own, thus you struggle to find the right moment when to apply it. So, you just learned something, and I did, too. You know _nothing_ about me, Uchiha. That is why you had to use that style – to see if I would fall for the same trick twice. Well, newsflash, Sasuke; I _won't_."

The rosette smirked cruelly, a maniac glint flashing across her eyes. "Though I suppose I should thank you; now I know _exactly_ how to wipe that over-confident smirk off your face."

"Enough!" Sasuke yelled, cutting off anything else Sakura might have had to say. "_You _know nothing about me either, so just shut up and watch."

And with those words, Sasuke ran to the edge of the arena, then continued going up the wall, until he stopped, perched parallel to the ground like some grotesque spider.

Then, suddenly, a sound like a thousand chirping birds ripped through the air. A sounded so alike… _**thunder.**_

Sakura froze.

Her mind went blank.

All she could hear was the thunder, and all she could see was that daunting, black-rimmed scroll. Everything else lost its importance.

She could see the Uchiha getting nearer and nearer, the tantalizing ball of blue electricity coming much too close for comfort. But she was powerless to stop him. So Sakura screwed her eyes shut, and waited for the inevitable.

And then…

* * *

Everybody in the audience gasped in shock when they saw that the Uchiha's strike had, in fact, hit its mark.

As if in a mutual agreement, everyone became silent as they gazed at the two duelling teens below. Kaoru shut his eyes in fear of what he would see when he noticed the Uchiha backing away from the rosette. Because of that, he missed Sasuke's confused look when Sakura remained standing.

"Hey, Kaoru-chan, look. Something is off." the redhead's voice made him open his eyes. When he did, he realised what Akane had meant; Sakura, whom he had fully expected to be bloody, if not dead, stood there calmly, apparently back to herself when the sound of thunder ceased to exist. Her hands outstretched before her and a curious look on her face as she admired them.

"Uh... Kaoru-chan? Is it just me, or is she actually _sparkling_?" the Akane's tone sounded perturbed and Kaoru soon realised why; he was right. The rosette was buzzing with electrical energy.

And when she moved her hands a little higher, they saw the unmistakable blue glow accompanied by a _crack _of electricity.

"Hm. That's interesting."

Kaoru hated how Sakura managed to sound as if she was conducting a scientific experiment rather than in the middle of a dangerous battle. He hated how she didn't seem concerned that she might have been fatally wounded. He quickly checked, hoping against hope, that he had imagined the chakra armour being ripped off. Nope. It was still there, laying in the shade of one of the trees surrounding the arena. He cursed, then turned his attention back to his teammate.

Slowly, the rosette reached into her pouch and pulled out a kunai. Sure enough, the lightning energy that encased her hand travelled up the knife and covered it in a pale blue glow with the occasional _crack _of electricity.

"Well, Uchiha, how do you feel about having your own jutsu turned against you?" and with an evil grin, she flicked the kunai at the raven.

Sasuke's eyes widened comically, but he managed to quickly leap out of the way of the flying projectile.

"Aw, damn." Akane whined, unhappy that the Uchiha had avoided the knife.

"No, wait." Kaoru muttered, having noticed something that the redhead had missed.

He smirked.

_Always a step ahead, aren't you, Sakura-chan? _

For before their eyes, a barrage of senbon that hid in the kunai's shadow and was heading towards Sasuke at an alarming speed. Too shocked to dodge, the Uchiha was hit by a dozen of electrically charged needles.

Kaoru grinned.

It was over.

However, the rosette had other plans. She pulled out another kunai and moved towards the fallen raven, and Kaoru was glad she did, for not a second later, the Uchiha spasmed and raised himself up on his elbow, fully intent on standing up.

But Sakura moved before he even had a chance to blink. She jumped on him with her knee on his back and yanked his head towards her by his hair.

She pressed the kunai to his throat.

The Uchiha had lost.

Genma realised that too. "I declare Sakura Haruno the winner of this match." his voice rang through the arena. There was a moment of silence before the crowd erupted into wild cheers.  
Anko had a smile on her face, proud of the petite rosette, yet at the same time, she was wondering about the same thing Kakashi struggled to understand - _how on earth is Sakura still standing? _The Copy Nin knew that it was no small feat to survive, not to mention _withstand_ the Chidori. He created it as a method for a one-strike kill. And he had no doubts that the Uchiha had copied it perfectly. So how could the rosette not have been affected by it?

Back in the stands, Akane asked the same question.

Kaoru frowned. "I have two theories." he said.

"Well, shoot."

"Firstly, Sakura's taijutsu is composed of her ability to channel and emit a precise amount of chakra at a given moment. So, you could say that her body had become a _conductor _for chakra. Therefore when the Uchiha's lightning jutsu hit her, her body, instead of being destroyed by it, absorbed it. And, since she's so proficient at chakra manipulation, she was able to treat it as normal chakra and make it do her will. Because although it seems like electricity, what the Uchiha used was still _only chakra_. And Sakura is a _master_ at pure chakra control."

"And the second theory?"

"Well, the second is simply something I suspected from the very beginning;" he paused, and sighed. "We've got a monster at our hands."

* * *

**Woah!**

**This is a monster. **

**I will never be able to explain how much effort it took to find the time to write this chapter! I'm so sorry for the delay. I have a few explanations; jumping from country to country for basketball tournaments, exams, more tournaments, some health issues, and MORE exams.**

**Originally, this chapter was 8, 574 words long. BUT. It didn't fit, so I cut it out, and you'll see it next chapter, which will get to you on Wednesday THE LATEST!**

**So, PLEASE tell me what you think (even if only to shout at me for not updating sooner!) **

**Thank you!**

**And see you soon!**


	21. The Invasion

**You can not believe how amazed and happy I was with the positive response I got for the last chapter! Thank you so so much!**

**For those who live miiiiiiles away from me, here, in the UK, it's still Wednesday! Evening Wednesday, but still!**

**So, without further ado, here we go!**

* * *

Sakura walked back to the stands, but she did not look like she had just won. In fact, she looked like she'd seen a ghost; her face was sickly pale, she was sweating, and had a horrified expression on her face.

It took Kaoru a second to realize why; there were finger-shaped burns on her uncovered forearm, and he noticed she took great care to keep her hands away from her body.

_No... _

This was the after-effect of absorbing a lethal jutsu into your body: you lost control of it.  
Sakura's body still crackled with the occasional spark of electricity, and when she looked up, her expression was that of utter despair.

"Sakura!" Akane ignored the tell-tale signs of _'stay away'_ and rushed forward to give the rosette a hug.

The second his body made contact with Sakura's skin, he jumped back, cursing wildly as he cradled his arm.

"I'm sorry!" Sakura apologized quickly, her eyes glistening with tears she struggled to keep at bay. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-!" she cut off, her lip trembling.

She looked so alone and confused, that Kaoru ignored the fact that he had seen first-hand what happened when Akane got close to her, and stepped up. He gently wrapped his arms around the rosette, flinching as the electricity immediately shocked and burned his skin, but he didn't let go.

He had a theory to test.

"Calm down, Sakura." he cooed, gently stroking her hair. "It's going to be alright." and to their surprise, as the rosette clung to him, the electricity slowly subsided, until it finally disappeared. Sakura slumped in his arms, sniffling, but smiling gratefully.

"Thank you, Kaoru." she said quietly. "But... How did you know?"

Kaoru scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "Ah, I didn't." and when Sakura chuckled and looked down, he exchanged a meaningful _I'll tell you later _look with Akane. The redhead nodded, then grinned, jumping towards the rosette.

"You did it, Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed. "You kicked the Uchiha's ass!"

* * *

"Sakura Haruno and Sabaku no Garra. Come down for your match."

The rosette swallowed, but quickly schooled her features into absolute confidence, her lips twisting into a cruel smirk as she walked down the steps, making sure to take her time.

Once both teens stood facing each other, Genma waited for the public to settle before he announced that they could begin.

Sakura let her tense shoulders relax and allowed the smirk to grow until it looked almost feral. Gaara mimicked her, and his tongue sneaked out to lick his lips.

"I will enjoy tearing you apart." He hissed, eyes glinting with malicious intent.

The pinkette shook her head. "You'd have to get close to me first." And with those words, she took off, not towards Gaara, but _away_ from him. She crouched down and began unfastening her boots. Soon, she stood up again, two sets of weights clutched tightly in her hands, her arms trembling with the effort. Even with her meagre height, when she released them, the weights plummeted to the ground and made a great crater.

Gaara waited until the dust cleared enough for him to see, then sent out his sand. But… It only met air.

"Over here!" suddenly, there was a hiss of air by his head, and he cursed the fact that his sand shield appeared to be struggling to keep up with her. He turned around, growling, eyes searching for the annoying pinkette, the monster within him hissing all the different ways he could kill her, torture her, destroy her…

A kunai suddenly pierced through his sand shield, and he started, scanning to see where the potential attack would come from, his sand shifting restlessly beside him.

He was not expecting a sudden force to strike him in the back, propelling him forward as his body bent in a backwards C-shape and was sent crashing to the ground.

Gaara got back on his feet, eyes ablaze with cold, murderous fury. He concentrated, murmured a jutsu, and in the palm on his hand, sand formed to create an eye. He swiftly manoeuvred it to be on the back of his head, and resumed searching for the rosette.

Up in the stands, the audience struggled to pick their jaws off the floors. Murmurs of '_but you said she lost her chakra!_' and '_is she still running? How is this speed possible?_' or '_What do you mean __**without**__**chakra**__?!_' could be heard from most of the audience.

But Gaara had found her. He smirked when he realised she wasn't running – she was hiding in a tree, the lack of chakra working as a chakra suppressor. Immediately, even without his command, the sand rushed in her direction. Surprise more than anything else slowed her reaction, and though she managed to get out of the tree a second before it was smashed to absolute smithereens, she did not manage to evade the smaller attack which branched away from the main wave and came down on her like a whip.

Sakura was thrown against the nearby wall, and given no time to recover as the unforgiving wave of sand zeroed in on her, and only years of honing her reflexes allowed her to quickly jump out of the way and save herself being crushed. But the wave was relentless.

The rosette was forced to turn, dodge, roll, skip and duck out of the way countless of times, and after a few minutes even her ridiculous stamina was having a problem keeping up.

Finally, she paused when it seemed like the sand had paused in its onslaught. It was the worst decision she could've made.

Instantly, the sand was on her like a beast, _I don't want to die! _pushing her to the ground, _I don't want to die! _suffocating her, _Idon'twanttodie! _ making her vision dance with black spots, _IDON'TWANTTO DIE!_

In what felt like her last desperate move, she pushed against the sand, trying to catch a breath –

And suddenly, she was on her feet, injuries forgotten, body buzzing with the dearly missed energy that was _chakra. _Sakura blinked, confused, and looked down at her hands, then back to where she had been imprisoned mere seconds before; a large, smouldering crater marred the ground, the sand gone.

Sakura took a second to assess her situation, and then allowed a smirk to bloom across her face.

The battlefield was even once again.

* * *

Not too long after that, the nightmare began. Gaara had transformed into a monster, and though Sakura knew what it was, she refused to acknowledge it. Because fighting a jinchuuriki was bad enough, but fighting the Shukaku was way out of her league.

Instead, she tried to focus on what was going on, but her mind too distracted. So much so, that she would have met her premature death by a kunai, were it not for a loud shout of "SAKURA!" and a perfectly timed shuriken that knocked the projectile out of the way.

Akane and Kaoru leaped down to stand beside her, both looking distraught, but at least they were still in one piece.

"What do we do?" the redhead asked. Kaoru didn't say anything, but his eyes let her know that he wanted to know the answer to that question too.

Sakura cursed inwardly. She hated moments like these, when her teammates looked to her for guidance, expected her to have the perfect plan prepared and a cool head to match. The problem was that she was just as anxious and confused as they were, if not more.

But like she had done so many times before, she pushed her personal feelings to the back of her mind. She expanded her senses and took a seconds to assess the situation, hundreds of scenarios and possible ways of action flying through her mind.

"OK." She said finally. "Akane, on a scale of one to ten, how good is your genjutsu dispelling?"

Akane shrugged, confused. "I don't know… About seven?" he said finally.

"Good enough." The rosette nodded. "I want you to go up there and get as many jounin, chunin and genin up and running as you can. The higher ranks will know what to do. After you've done the ninja, move onto the civilians. Get the genin to help you evacuate them if you must."

"Hai!" the redhead replied, and a second later, he was gone.

"And me?" Kaoru questioned.

"I need you here." The rosette replied. "Use the genjutsu you used in the First Stage of the exams to get into one of the enemy's men's minds. Now! Go!"

Kaoru was gone the moment the words left her mouth, which left her with a few seconds to decide how she was going to go about dealing with the sudden situation at hand. The fact that she had regained her chakra had not yet fully registered, and her mind was buzzing, running in overdrive as she struggled to come up with explanations as to _how could that be_? And the fact that she had somehow managed to defy all possible laws of chakra and physics and _absorbed a chakra-based attack_?

But now was not the time or place to be dealing with those questions, she decided as she felt Kaoru's presence behind her. She turned around to face him, wordlessly motioning for him to go ahead.

"Sand and Sound are in an alliance. They're trying to kill the Hokage and take over the village." he stated simply, and the rosette chuckled inwardly at how he managed to make holding an enemy nin in the air by the scruff of his neck look so casual.

Sakura let out a cold laugh. "Kaoru, please don't say that with such a straight face; I almost believed you."

"There's nothing to believe, Sakura. It's what was in this guy's thoughts and memories. And," he paused, glancing up. "Judging by the barrier that is currently surrounding the Kage's balcony, I think he's right."

Sakura's eyes followed where the brunette was pointing and discovered, much to her horror, that there indeed was a barrier surrounding the Kage.

She swore softly and turner away to think.

"Uh, Sakura?" Kaoru's voice stopped her. She gave a grunt to let him know she was listening, too deep in thought to reply properly. "What about this guy?"

Sakura realised he was referring to the Sand nin in his grasp. The rosette frowned, but then simply waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Get rid of him." she ordered.

Sakura turned on her heel to collect her thoughts and think of what to do next. Kaoru was by her side in a second, the only visible sign of what he had done being the flecks of blood on his shirt.

"What do we do now?" he asked carefully.

Sakura's eyes scanned through the arena and widened when she found what she was looking for. In a flash, she had pulled out a kunai and sent it sailing in a blue ball of chakra, until the kunai met its target as it sunk into a Sound ninja's throat just as he was about to pounce on Akane from behind.

"Now?' Sakura hissed. "Now we go and help Akane. And try to stay alive."

* * *

Kakashi had witnessed the entire exchange, from the moment the teens had forcibly dragged the rosette from Gaara, to when they jumped into the chaos to help their teammate. He didn't miss how the boys automatically turned to the pinkette for orders, or how quickly and confidently she'd given them. Such a decision was never meant to be put in front of genin. But the trio had once again proven that they were not _normal _genin.

Kakashi also didn't miss the ease with which the brunette took that ninja's life. The command was given, and there wasn't a sign of even the slightest hesitation as the teen pulled out a knife and slit the rouge's throat. It was that simple.

There were names for children like them. Names that had been directed at Kakashi too, many, many years ago.

_Geniuses._

_Prodigies._

_Perfect ninja._

_**Murderers.**_

* * *

"Akane!" Kaoru called, and the redhead dodged just in time for the sword to swish by his shoulder, missing his head by a few lucky inches. The brunette landed close to his teammate, giving him a quick once-over before he deemed him unhurt and alive, and proceeded to switch positions so that he was the one rousing people from genjutsu while the redhead stopped their enemies from getting anywhere near him.

Sakura relished in the feeling of letting loose, using the forbidden style which her dad had taught her to its full capability, striking nerve points and vital organs until she was dancing around a pile of bodies, disfigured beyond recognition.

"What do you know?" the redhead shouted over the noise, twirling around his opponent and stabbing a knife into his back.

"It's Sand and Sound!" Kaoru yelled back, jerking another child from the genjutsu and directing her to a genin that stood nearby. "They're trying to get the Hokage!"

Akane nodded, though neither really noticed. "Yeah, I got that too!" apparently, Orochimaru's behind all this! He's the Kazekage!"

_Orochimaru. _Sakura froze. Her eyes unconsciously trailed to the enormous purple barrier that engulfed the balcony. _I could just go there, find out how to get under that barrier... And then I would make that snake pay back for killing my Dad! I could-!_

"SAKURA!" A scream of her name brought her back to earth and she had milliseconds to react so the sword that was aimed in a deadly blow at her head just dug deep into her shoulder. Sakura hissed in pain, and before the ninja could so much as blink, she snuck under his guard and smacked her palm against his chest. He was dead within seconds.

The rosette whirled around for more enemies, legs bent and eyes wild. But their wing was clear. All that was left were bodies, and the stench of blood and death. The battle was still going, but their wing was empty save for them and the few civilians Kaoru had yet to rouse.  
All three straightened from their positions, gratefully using this small chance for a breather.

"This is insane." Akane huffed as he slumped against Kaoru, struggling to catch his breath.

"Insane?" Sakura gave a small breathless laugh. "Since when has _anything _we do ever been sane?"

"Here, here." Kaoru called just as breathlessly and mimicked the action of raising a glass in a toast.

They shared a laugh.

Suddenly, the wall beside them exploded and three genin which they recognized as Naruto, Hikari, and some kid who looked like a Nara and a dog appeared, and jumped out of the hole, the words

"We're going after Sasuke!" echoing behind them.

Sakura exchanged a horrified glance with her teammates. _Sasuke _meant _Gaara, _and Gaara meant...

"Shit!" Akane hissed as he ran to the hole and jumped out after them. "They're going to get themselves killed!" he yelled in response to their protesting calls.

Kaoru turned to face the rosette, despair and determination shining in his eyes. "Sakura, I need to-!"

"Go and make sure he doesn't get _himself_ killed!" Sakura cut him off. "I know! Go!"

The brunette bowed and muttered a quick 'Arigato', an action which wouldn't come to Sakura's mind until many hours later, as he too jumped out of the hole in pursuit of his teammate.

* * *

Sakura was now faced with a dilemma, but as a sudden roar ripped through the air, a roar so mighty that she had to cover her ears in fear of being deafened by it, she suddenly knew.

There were people in the village.

_Innocent people._

And there was one thing Sakura valued more than anything, and that was the fact that no life should be wasted meaninglessly.

Thus, her decision was made.

She would not let innocent people die.

She jumped out of the same hole her teammates had, but headed in the opposite direction.

As Sakura reached the place where the fighting was mostly taking place, she realized her job would be even harder than she originally imagined. Dozens of people were already either dead or dying, crushed under the rubble or unable to escape due to the ninjas fighting. And with the monster summon wreaking havoc wherever its three heads could reach, Sakura had little hope of getting out alive, not to mention helping somebody.

But the agonized screams only got worse, and the rosette was soon faced with a terrible dilemma; save those nearly dying and get them to the hospital, or those still trapped in their homes or the Academy?

A pained, horrified scream that shook her to the core interrupted her thoughts. Because that scream was a _child's _scream.

In an instant, Sakura's mind was made up. She shot towards the sound and intercepted the Sand nin just as he was about to stab the boy with his sword. Working on autopilot, the rosette pushed the sword out of the way and stood in between the man and the child.

"Should've picked on somebody your own size, you coward." she hissed furiously.

Sakura was about to use the two fingers to the throat move, as she would not be satisfied until she knew the trash was truly dead, but at the last second, a voice in the back of her mind reminded her that there was a child watching. Within seconds, she swooped down and instead of through the throat, the fingers rested over the ninja's heart; stopping it instantly. With one last, icy glare at the fallen body of her enemy, Sakura turned back to the boy.

He was no older than seven and was staring at her with a mixture of fear and awe, and Sakura realized what she must've looked like; bloodied with blood that was not her own, her eyes furious and chakra blazing.

She quickly put on her most child-friendly expression and knelt down to the boy. Having never been in a similar situation, she didn't know what approach to take, so she settled for honesty.

"We're under attack." she stated simply. When the boy's eyes widened and he resembled a deer in the headlights, she felt the need to reassure him. "But don't worry, you're not in danger." Sakura resisted the urge to add _anymore. _"But I need you to listen to me, okay? Can you do that?" the boy nodded mutely, mesmerized by the blood still dripping from her hands.

"I need you to be quiet as a mouse. I'm going to take you to safety, okay? Will you work with me?"

"B-but you said that I'm not i-in danger..." the boy stuttered.

Sakura bit back the annoyed response she was about to give, and forced on a patient smile.

"Yes, but better safe than sorry, ne?"

"B-but-!" Sakura's patience had reached its limit, and she cursed the natural curiosity of children.

She quickly snatched him up and carried to the place where she hoped he would find safety – the underground tunnels that ran all the way to the Uchiha compound. She formed the Ram seal and prayed.

It worked.

* * *

Sakura lost track of how many children she had evacuated to the tunnels, using the help of all those who happened to be around, gennin, chunin and jounin alike. But the village's future lay in its children, so Sakura decided they were a worthy cause to fight for.

But some people disagreed, and she soon found herself cornered, in the odds of at least twenty-five to one. They were no good odds.

"Should've chosen something better than this as your career, little girl." One of the men hissed.

"Should've done something _smarter _than betray the only village that trusted you enough to form an alliance, you _fool._" She spat back with equal malice.

The man's eyes narrowed, and motioned for his lackeys to come forward.

And from there, all Sakura knew was _pain._

* * *

**21:00 o'clock! It's still Wednesday!**

**I will reply to your reviews the moment I get a slight breather, but for now, thanks for reading, and please share your views and opinions with me via review!**

**(Don't worry, an explanation to her yet another weird chakra move will be explained in the next chapter!)**

**Also! I drew Akane and Kaoru, (bad drawings, but still!) the links to the pictures are on my profile for anyone who wants to have a look!**

**Bye!**


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